Pluripotency is the remarkable ability that certain stem cells have of giving rise to all cell types of the body. The molecular regulation of pluripotency is a fundamental  basic biology question with important potential implications in Regenerative Medicine and Cancer. We are investigating how the chromatin state and the transcriptional program for pluripotency are maintained in pluripotent cells and how they can be revived in differentiated cells during reprogramming. We study the mechanisms that regulate pluripotency in mouse and human stem cells and the embryonic germline. We use techniques such as mouse genetics and embryology, microarrays, deep sequencing, bioinformatics, embryonic stem cell manipulation and screens using RNA interference and gene over-expression.

Santos Lab