Chris Benner

We are a genomics and bioinformatics and sequencing technology laboratory focused on decoding the regulatory functions of the genome. We use next-generation sequencing (NGS) and computational analysis to understand the mechanisms responsible for transcription and epigenetic regulation in human development and disease. Our primary focus is to elucidate enhancer function in the immune system, where we use a variety of advanced NGS techniques to characterize changes in transcription, chromatin states and genome structure during the host defense response to foreign pathogens. Due to the laboratory’s expertise in developing NGS assays and analysis algorithms, we are involved in a wide array of collaborative projects spanning cancer, metabolism, development, cellular reprogramming, and evolution.