The Bintu lab at Stanford University uses systems and synthetic biology approaches to characterize the dynamics of gene and chromatin regulation in mammalian cells.

We aim to develop novel techniques and assays to recruit endogenous and exogenous chromatin regulators to manipulate epigenetic state, and examine the epigenetic profiles that produce distinct cellular phenotypes in mammalian cells. We are interested in using single-cell measurements such as time-lapse fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry to characterize the dynamics of chromatin spreading and memory in mammalian cells. We are also interested in using high-throughput screens to characterize the higher-order organization of the genome and its impact on gene expression.

Our goal is to use this information to build a quantitative and predictive framework to improve mammalian cell engineering.