Dr. Tobias A. Knoch, Group Leader, Biophysical Genomics – Erasmus MC has joined the speaker panel for the 2nd Annual Epigenetics Discovery Congress. The second edition of the two-day congress organized by Markets and Markets Conferences, is scheduled for 8th – 9th September 2016 in London – UK, and will gather global researchers and industry professionals working in epigenetic research to explore the potential of epigenetics to contribute towards novel and existing therapeutics and current progress towards inclusion of epigenetics in drug discovery and development.
Dr. Knoch serves within the Cell Biology & Genetics Branch at Erasmus Medical Center, Netherlands, as Group Leader, Biophysical Genomics. He spoke to the marketing team at Markets and Markets Conferences, a brief pre-event interview, talking about the latest developments in epigenetic research; he said, “To say that with our new targeted chromatin capture (T2C) and 2D fluorescence correlation spectroscopy methods we reached a fundamental level of resolution where genomic statistical mechanics with uncertainty principles apply, is very exciting since it has major implications for the investigation and the understanding of genomes similar to the revolution in quantum mechanics at the beginning of the 20th century”. He further added, “More importantly, our key message is that we have determined/resolved the missing three levels of genome architecture and dynamics:
There is a chromatin quasi-fibre folded into small loops which form rosettes connected by a linker. Our new approaches allow structural and dynamic sequencing of genome architecture in detail. Thus, for the first time a systemic understanding of genome organization and function comes into reach and will finally lead to a general genome mechanics. This will have far reaching impacts on diagnosis, treatment and genome engineering”.
Joining Dr. Knoch on the dais will be experts representing organizations such as 4SC AG, Epizyme, CNRS EtaC, Oryzon, Boehringer Ingelheim, Imperial College London, University of Nottingham, University of East Anglia, McGill University Medical School, Cardiff School of Biosciences, University of Edinburgh, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Oslo University Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Ulster University, University of Groningen, Università di Salerno and Maastricht University Medical Center. Diagenode has confirmed their presence as Sponsor and we will be delivering a presentation on their latest offerings. Chromatrap, Source BioScience, and MaxCyte too have recently confirmed their participation as Exhibitors at the congress.
Epigenetics has flourished over the past decade and has made great progress; highlighting some emerging themes in drug discovery approach with respect to emerging targets, inhibitors, biomarkers and clinical success of epigenetics across various diseases. Taking these developments into consideratios, some of the key topics of discussion at the congress will be translational epigenetics, clinical epigenetics and biomarkers, epigenetics inhibitors and emerging targets, cancer and neurodevelopment and bioinformatics development in epigenetics. The conference will be held at the London Heathrow Marriot Hotel and will be a great opportunity to share expertise in areas of epigenetic research.