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Professor Wolf Reik

Babraham Institute

Epigenetics Programme

Position: Head of Department

PubMed journal articles - click here 

Professor Wolf Reik is pleased to consider applications from prospective PhD students.

Research description

Our lab works on epigenetic mechanisms of gene regulation in mammalian development. We particularly focus on understanding the mechanisms and biological functions of epigenetic reprogramming which occurs on a large scale in germ cells and in early embryos. We think that this may be related to the acquisition of pluripotency and potentially totipotency in the zygote, transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, imprinting, and transposon regulation. We are interested in the molecular mechanisms by which epigenetic marks, particularly DNA methylation, can be erased from the genome in the process of reprogramming. We believe that a mechanistic understanding of reprogramming will provide novel insights and translational approaches to regenerative medicine, ageing, and cancer.

Research Programme
Early Detection
Recent publications:

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Key publications: 

Ficz G, Branco MR, Seisenberger S, Santos F, Krueger F, Hore TA, Marques CJ, Andrews S, Reik W (2011) Dynamic regulation of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine in mouse ES cells and during differentiation. Nature 473 398-402 Feng S, Jacobsen SE, Reik W (2010) Epigenetic reprogramming in plant and animal development. Science 330 622-627 Popp C, Dean WL, Feng S, Cokus SJ, Andrews SR, Pellegrini M, Jacobsen SE, Reik W (2010) Genome-wide erasure of DNA methylation in mouse primordial germ cells is affected by AID deficiency. Nature 463 1101-1105

Wolf Reik