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Bradley Cairns is interested in the molecular logic behind the ability of germ line stem cells and very early-stage embryos to develop into any type of cell. To explore this, Cairns and his team are focused on deciphering how chromatin structure and epigenetics help regulate gene transcription in these cells and embryos. They also examine how the regulation of chromatin and epigenetic processes goes awry in cancer. The team uses genetic, biochemical, and genomic methods to study the mechanics and function of chromatin-regulatory complexes in yeast, zebrafish, mouse, and human cells.