Reprogramming Stars #17:Breaking Down the Barriers of Direct Reprogramming Using a Model Organism—An Interview with Dr. Baris Tursun

REPROGRAMMING STAR: Prof. Dr. Baris Tursun leads the Molecular Cell Biology unit at the University of Hamburg’s Institute of Cell and Systems Biology of Animals. His group uses the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) to study direct reprogramming of cells in vivo. Their aim is to identify and better understand cellular processes that limit the conversion of cell identities. The genetic factors identified by the Tursun group contribute to safeguard cell fates and thereby act as reprogramming barriers. Using C. elegans facilitates unbiased genetic screening for such factors. By interrogating all 20,000 genes of the worm, the Tursun group identifies unanticipated molecular mechanisms that counteract cell conversion, ensuring the maintenance of cell function and health. Tursun’s research focuses on epigenetic and physiological mechanisms in cellular reprogramming and aging