Retrotransposons expression and cell identity

Abstract

Preliminary Results

Our lab is committed to unveil the complexities of the human transcriptome of T cell in the tumor microenvironment, with a particular focus on the annotation and functional role of retrotransposable elements (REs) —a largely uncharted territory in genomics. Since REs constitute nearly 43% of the human genome, incorporating them into gene annotation is essential to define the precise grammar that dictate cell differentiation and function.

However, studying these REs remains particularly challenging, as current bioinformatics tools often overlook them, leading to incomplete mapping and inaccurate quantification. To address these limitations, our team is dedicated to developing innovative technologies and computational approaches that allow for the precise annotation, quantification and interpretation of the REs and RE-derived transcripts in omics datasets and at single cell level. This is instrumental to unveiling their previously unrecognized roles in gene regulation and cellular function.