New Centre for Epigenetics at University of Copenhagen

The Centre for Epigenetics officially opened August 22, 2007 as a "Centre of Excellence" funded by The Danish National Research Foundation. The Centre brings together the distinct expertise of four research groups with the aim of unveiling basal mechanisms of epigenetic gene regulation fundamental to all eukaryotic organisms. Central to the research is the histone "code"-hypothesis and the protein complexes that write, translate and erase the code. Professor Kristian Helin, BRIC, is the director of the centre, which consists of four research groups - three of them are located at BRIC, University of Copenhagen, and one at University of Southern Denmark.

Epigenetics is one of the "hot" areas in biological and biomedical research. Epigenetics is defined as hereditary traits that are not dependent on changes in the DNA sequence, and it gives researchers an insight to how cells of all organisms are developed.

For further information please contact:

Kristian Helin,

Director

Tlf: +45 3532 5606

Or visit: www.epigenetics.dk