de Laat: Biomedical genomics

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The De Laat group studies genome structure and function in development and disease and develops DNA sequencing methods for improved clinical diagnostics.

Nuclear organisation and gene expression

The mammalian genome contains millions of non-coding sequences with transcriptional regulatory potential, including enhancers, which can activate gene expression, and insulators, which can block enhancer action. A main interest of our work is to understand how this dizzying array of regulatory sequences is functionally wired to the roughly twenty thousand genes present, such that the orchestration of gene expression is properly executed in both time and place, and how faulty wiring of these elements leads to disease.

Key publicationsView all publications

Ready-to-use public infrastructure for global SARS-CoV-2 monitoring

Krijger PHL, Hoek TA, [...], de Laat W, Tanenbaum M

Nature Biotechnology 39: 1178–1184

Download|2021

Mol. Cell 81(15):3082-3095

Download|2021

NATURE COMMUNICATIONS: 12:3361

Download|2021

Current Opinion in Genetics & Development: 67:10-17

Download|2021

Methods: 170 17–32

Download|2019

DamC reveals principles of chromatin folding in vivo without crosslinking and ligation

Redolfi J, Zhan Y, Valdes-Quezada C, [...], de Laat W, Giorgetti L

Nat Struct Mol Biol. ; 26(6): 471–480

Download|2019

American Journal of Human Genetics 101,1-14.

Download|2017

Cell Stem Cell, 18(5):597-610.

Download|2016

Molecular Cell, 61(3):461-73.

Download|2016

CTCF binding polarity determines chromatin looping.

de Wit E, Vos ESM, [...], de Laat W

Mol. Cell. 60(4):676-84.

Download|2015

Nature Biotechnology 32(10):1019-25.

Download|2014

Nature 501(7466):227-31.

Download|2013

Nature Methods, 9:969-72.

Download|2012

Genes & Dev 20: 2349-2354.

Download|2006

The beta-globin nuclear compartment in development and erythroid differentiation.

Palstra RJ, Tolhuis B, Splinter E, Nijmeijer R, Grosveld F, de Laat W

Nature Genetics 35, 190-194.

Download|2003

Looping and interaction between hypersensitive sites in the active beta-globin locus.

Tolhuis B, Palstra RJ, Splinter E, Grosveld F, de Laat W

Molecular Cell 10: 1453–1465,

Download|2002

Group leader

Wouter de Laat

Wouter de Laat is group leader at the Hubrecht Institute and professor of Biomedical Genomics at University Medical Center Utrecht. His research focuses on two main themes, with a strong emphasis on technology development. One focus is on epigenetics and gene expression; in particular, how the 3D architecture of the genome impacts on transcription regulation. By developing and applying innovative high-throughput technologies he and his team aim to accelerate progress in understanding genome structure-function relationships. The second focus is on clinical diagnostics. His research group develops DNA sequencing technologies for clinical applications, for example for optimized oncogenetic diagnostics and for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis of monogenic diseases.

Scientific training and positions

Other activities

  • 2021 – 2022: Scientific Editor Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
  • 2021 – Present: Volunteer Mentor UAF (University Asylum Foundation)
  • 2021 – Present: SAB Member Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany

  • Group members

    Wouter de Laat

    Group Leader

    Marjon Verstegen

    Technician

    Peter Krijger

    Postdoc

    Amin Allahyar

    Postdoc

    Ruiqi Han

    Postdoc

    Konstantinos Sofiadis

    Postdoc

    Leonela Luce

    Postdoc

    Yike Huang

    PhD Student

    Sjoerd Tjalsma

    PhD Student

    Anna Felder

    PhD Student

    Show all group members