Research group Group Engström

Our research aims to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the evolutionarily conserved POU/Oct family of transcription factors and their roles in development, physiology, cell division, cancer, and immunity. With the unique possibilities for genetic manipulation, Drosophila is an important model to study the mechanisms regulating proliferation, differentiation, regenerative growth and cancer.

A central focus is to understand how distinct POU/Oct protein isoforms are generated through the use of alternative promoters, alternative splicing, and alternative translation, and how these protein isoforms regulate specific downstream target genes in a tissue- and developmental stage-specific manner.

Our work spans less studied processes at multiple levels of the central dogma of molecular biology, from chromosome segregation during cell division to translational regulation through stop codon readthrough (SCR). These studies have provided important insights that challenge established textbook concepts, while opening new avenues for therapeutic strategies to treat genetic disorders and cancer.

Taking advantage of Drosophila as a genetic model organism as well as cultured cells from human and fly, we use a broad palette of genetic and molecular tools including CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing, RNA-interference, transgene- and reporter gene expression. In addition to this broad use of molecular biology methodology, our research includes RNAomic and proteomic approaches, as well as high-resolution microscopy and live-cell imaging.