DNA sequence motifs are short sequences found many times in a genome, often associated with a biological function. Amongst particular motifs, an inverted repeat (IR) is a nucleotide sequence followed downstream by its reverse complement (e.g., ATACGG followed by CCGTAT), potentially with a gap in the center (e.g., ATACGGnnnCGTAT). They are involved in many biological processes, including gene regulation, replication, translocation, and recombination. Thanks to the advent of high-throughput sequencing, the number of fully sequenced genomes has grown exponentially, paving the way for systematic studies of motifs. Yet, despite two types of IRs found in prokaryotes revolutionizing molecular biology (CRISPR-cas and restriction enzyme cutting sites), IRs have never been systematically studied in prokaryotic genomes.
In SIRIG, we aim to develop efficient computational and statistical tools to systematically detect and characterize IRs in prokaryotic genomes.
This project is funded by the CNRS.
People
Interested in joining us? We are looking for PhD students and interns. Feel free to reach out to us.
