Guttman Lab
Decoding the roles of non-coding RNAs in shaping nuclear structure and gene expression.
At Guttman Lab, we aim to understand how noncoding RNAs shape dynamic nuclear structure to regulate gene expression. We develop cutting-edge technologies based in biochemistry, cell biology, genomics and computational biology to address these questions.
Our Lab
We seek to understand fundamental principles of biological regulation within the nucleus. Our team of scientists from diverse backgrounds allows us to approach these questions from a holistic perspective with an integrated strategy. We do not make a clear distinction between experimental and computational projects; our projects are goal-centered and use all tools critical for success. When necessary, we develop new tools to answer questions that were previously inaccessible and apply these tools to decipher new paradigms and improve our understanding of essential biological functions.
In The News
Revealing chromosome contours, one dot at a time
Nature interviews Guttman Lab in this week’s Technology Feature discussing the latest technological advances for studying 3D genome organization. In concert with the in situ microscopy renderings created at Caltech’s Cai Lab, Guttman Lab’s SPRITE method has opened the door to discovery driven proximity interactions – even long distance interactions. Even lab mascot SHARP-y made the feature! Read the full article at Nature.com
The Vast Little Library Inside of Your Cells
Featured this week in Caltech News: Using the latest innovation developed at Guttman Lab, RNA-DNA SPRITE, our team discovered that non-coding RNA create “compartments” within the nucleus and shepherd key molecules to precise regions in the genome. Read this review now at Caltech News
Prashant awarded de Karman Fellowship
Reserved for graduate students going into their final year of doctoral work, the fellowship was created to recognize and support outstanding scholastic achievement. Read about Prashant’s work and the award at Caltech News
Announcements
Publication: Xist spatially amplifies SHARP/SPEN recruitment to balance chromosome-wide silencing and specificity to the X chromosome
Why are lncRNAs lowly expressed? How can they regulate their more abundant targets? Our latest paper “Xist spatially amplifies SHARP/SPEN recruitment to balance chromosome-wide silencing and specificity to the X chromosome” published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology explores how these features are balanced to ensure target specificity and robust gene regulation via a spatial amplification mechanism. Read the Paper here
Publication: SPRITE, a genome-wide method for mapping higher-order 3D interactions in the nucleus using combinatorial split-and-pool barcoding
Want to generate higher-order 3D maps of DNA organization? Our protocol for DNA-SPRITE, ” SPRITE: a genome-wide method for mapping higher-order 3D interactions in the nucleus using combinatorial split-and-pool barcoding” is now live on Nature Protocols! Read the protocol paper here
Guttman Lab Retreat 2021
Guttman lab celebrates a happy return to our favorite tradition, the annual lab retreat. This year’s event was held December 10-12 in the mountain town of Lake Arrowhead, California. Lab members presented their work, discussed next year’s goals and opportunities, and drew out a roadmap for another year of research. But that’s not all, we took plenty of time to relax, hike, and make s’mores in this idyllic mountain setting.
Publication: RNA promotes the formation of spatial compartments in the nucleus
Artwork by Inna-Marie Strazhnik/Caltech
Publication: Single-cell measurement of higher-order 3D genome organization with scSPRITE
New paper now published to Nature Biotechnology: “Single-cell measurement of higher-order 3D genome organization with scSPRITE”. This new application of our SPRITE methods measures multi-way DNA interactions around nuclear bodies, TADs, and P-E in hundreds of mouse embryonic stem cells. Read the Paper here
Publication: SARS-CoV-2 Disrupts Splicing, Translation, and Protein Trafficking
Guttman lab’s Nature Reviews article discussing the role of nuclear compartmentalization is out now. Titled “Nuclear compartmentalization as a mechanism of quantitative control of gene expression”, read the full text here
