Research Overview
Our research is aims at understanding how transcription factors (TFs)
coordinate the expression of genes at the level of single cells. The
experimental challenge of studying TF mediated gene regulation in
individual cell is that it is a single molecule process where one or a
few TF molecules bind to few specific binding sites on the chromosome.
In addition TF kinetics poses two major theoretical challenges: the
stochastic nature of kinetics at the level of single molecules and
non-negligible spatial aspects. To meet these challenges we use novel
single molecule microscopy methods for studying kinetics and diffusion
in living cells (Elf et al Science 2007). These experimental
techniques are accompanied by the development of pioneering
computational tools for stochastic reaction-diffusion simulation of
intracellular kinetics (Fange and Elf, PLoS CB 2006) and mathematical
modeling of intercellular physiology (Elf et al, Science 2003; Genome
Research 2005; Li, Berg and Elf, Nature Physics 2009).
New theory for search kinetics
Mar 15, 2009
Move to Linneaus Center
Sept 1, 2008
The group is now a part of the Linneaus center for Bioinfomatics. The
lab is in corridor C8:2 of the biomedical center.
The Fellowship is expanding.
June 14, 2008
Petter Hammer, Rickard Hedman and Mats Wallden are joining the lab.
Welcome!
Recruitment: The Fellowship is expanding.
Apr 29, 2008
We have many new quests to compleat starting 2008 and 2009. Outstanding candidates for postdoc, PhD and MS positions
with a background in physic, chemistry, biology, computor science, mathematics
or a mix of these are welcome to contact Johan Elf for more information.
ERC Grant
Dec 14, 2007
The Elf lab got the highly competitive ERC Starting Independent Research Grant. Less than 3% of the 9200 applications
were granted. The grant implies that a number of postdocs and PhD students will be recruited over the next few years.
First microscope
Nov 1, 2007 by J Elf
We have started building our first single molecule microscope for live cell imaging
Ingvar Carlsson Award
Oct 30, 2007 by J Elf
J Elf was awarded the Ingvar Carlsson Award (3MSEK) by the Swedish foundation for strategic reserach.
Dr. Brian English
Sept 24, 2007 by J Elf
Dr. Brian English joins the Elflab as a postdoctoral fellow. Dr. English is an expert in single molecule sepectroscopy and got his PhD in chemistry at Harvard University.
There and back again
Sept17, 2007 by J Elf
Returning from the Xie group at Harvard I am now starting my own group in the department of Cell an Molecular Biology at Uppsala University.
Our work will be focused at the development of new experimental and computational methods for analyzing intracellular transcription factor dynamics at high temporal resolution and spatial precision.
The methods will be used to answer fundamental questions in bacterial physiology related to transcription factor mediated gene regulation in living bacterial cells.
