Our group studies chromatin organization and function, and in particular the role of one protein, High Mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB1). The state of chromatin determines how specific genes are expressed by different cells in the same organism (that contain the same genome). Moreover, differentiated cells maintain their identity over time, and stem cells maintain their plasticity. When they fail in this, they can become tumors, or simply start performing erratically (degenerative diseases of various kinds). We are also very interested in a remarkable property of HMGB1. This nuclear protein can be leaked out of necrotic cells and signal traumatic tissue damage, triggering inflammation, cell proliferation and migration, innate and adaptive immune responses, angiogenesis and eventually tissue repair. The connection between chromatin status in apoptosis and tissue repair is a particular focus of our group. The Group led by Alessandra Agresti has built and tested a computational model of the activation of NF-kappaB, the transcription factor responsible for most inflammatory responses. They have also shown that the systems oscillates in living cells, and that the oscillations are required for specific gene expression programs.