Transcriptional enhancers are DNA sequences that specify inducible, spatiotemporal patterns of gene expression at most gene loci. Several complementary results from genomic studies have shown that the majority of functional sites in a genome correspond to transcriptional enhancer sequences, thus underscoring their importance for understanding basic physiology. However, while transcriptional enhancers represent a major class of regulatory DNAs in eukaryotic genomes, the entire set of sequences that are necessary and sufficient for constructing a complex eukaryotic enhancer are not yet known.

Our laboratory is focused on using molecular biology, genomics, bioinformatics, and transgenic model systems to understand enhancer biology. A major area of focus in our laboratory is the study of how different morphogen-concentration specific responses are encoded at different loci. We are also interested in understanding the sequence-function relationship well enough to understand the complex patterns of molecular evolution occurring at enhancer sequences.