White Paper 3: Genome and Epigenetics

Abstract

During the last few decades, the genomes from hundreds of different living organisms have been fully sequenced. Decoding this vast amount of genetic information promises to unlock the molecular secrets of life in our planet as well as the molecular basis of human disease. However, this is far from trivial since in many species the protein-coding sequences (i.e. genes) only account for a small fraction of their genome, with the remaining non-coding sequences potentially playing regulatory functions. Moreover, within multicellular organisms, the genome is uniquely used in each cell type by introducing epigenetic modifications and/or adopting particular 3D conformations that can affect gene activity and expression without changing the underlying DNA sequences. Despite this complexity, recent advances in various -omics and genome editing technologies have dramatically improved our current understanding of genome function. Therefore, we are now in a unique position to sequence, analyze and modify genomes, and, thus, to improve not only our quality of life but also that of our planet.