Research

The Berrenslab is interested in the role of locus-specific transposable element expression is essential for development.

TE function has been addressed in groups of cells and at the level of TE families. However, TE families are sequence-identical TE loci in different genome locations.  Knockdown of a family can therefore affect up to 10% of the genome. To solve these limitations, we developed CELLO-seq, a method to assess TE expression in single cells and at the level of individual TE loci. 

Using CELLO-seq, out of thousands of LINE1 loci we identified the 25 likely to be important in development. Therefore CELLO-seq gives us a handle to functionally study specific TE loci in development. 

We combine a wide range of state-of-the-art technologies like CELLO-seq, epigenetics and spatial chromosome organisation, computational biology and genome-editing approaches to dissect the heterogeneity of transposable element expression between and within cells and understand their function in development and as regulators of gene expression.