PhD Defence Deepak Balamurali

Keywords: Non-coding RNA, Cardiovascular biology, Syntenic conservation, Single-cell omics
 

"The dark side of the Genome: A story in three-peats"

Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) has revolutionized genomics by enabling scientists to sequence and interpret vast amounts of DNA. While early research focused mainly on the protein-coding genome (a mere 2% of the total), recent studies emphasize the non-coding genome, which regulates genes and other biological functions. This thesis leverages both existing and new datasets to examine gene expression, particularly in the heart in humans & mice, comparing life stages across development from infancy to adulthood. The use of engineered heart tissues (EHTs) has gained momentum in recent years replacing animal models, as they are more similar to the native human tissue than animal models. We used multi-cell-type EHTs and single-nuclei sequencing for the first time in this project to delve deep inside and evaluate transcriptional changes at the sub-cellular level. These findings have significant implications for science and medicine, potentially aiding in disease understanding and therapeutic stratification.

Click here for the live stream.