Anna Townley
- PhD Student
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About
Research theme: Understanding the rules of life
I studied an undergraduate Master's degree in Biochemistry at the University of Oxford before moving to Cambridge to join the BBSRC DTP. Alongside my PhD, I have been involved in public engagement at the Gurdon Institute and in organising events including the BBSRC DTP annual symposium. In my spare time, I enjoy singing in Cambridge University Symphony Chorus and spending time outdoors kayaking or cycling.
Research
Project Title:
Defining the functional components of constitutive heterochromatin in Caenorhabditis elegans though genetic interaction screening and functional characterisation
Project Summary:
Heterochromatin is a stable epigenetic chromatin environment associated with the silencing of gene expression, including that of repetitive elements. Defects in heterochromatin lead to genetic instability and have been linked to human disease, such as cancer. The mechanism through which heterochromatin is established and maintained has been extensively studied in the single-celled yeast Saccharomyces pombe, but is not well understood in animals. In my PhD, I aim to use a genetic interaction screen with RNA interference to identify the functional components of the heterochromatin network in Caenorhabditis elegans.
Professor Julie Ahringer