Goradia group

Laboratory of Transcriptional Assembly Biology

Our Research

Transcription is controlled by dynamic networks of regulatory proteins that assemble within the nucleus. While many of the individual components of these networks have been identified, far less is understood about how their higher-order organization shapes gene regulation. The Goradia Lab investigates how regulatory protein assemblies control transcription and cell fate. We study how multivalent protein interactions drive the formation of molecular assemblies, how these structures are organized within the nucleus, and how they shape transcriptional programmes during development and disease. Our research seeks to define how these assemblies coordinate transcription across biological scales: from molecular interactions to tissue function.

Research Questions

How do regulatory protein assemblies form?

Transcriptional regulators rarely act alone. Instead, they interact through multivalent binding interfaces, intrinsically disordered regions, and short linear motifs to generate molecular assemblies whose properties extend beyond those of individual protein interactions. We investigate the mechanisms that govern the formation, organization, and regulation of these assemblies, and determine how their structural and dynamic properties influence transcription.

How does nuclear organization influence transcription?

The nucleus is a highly organized environment in which the spatial arrangement of regulatory proteins contributes to gene regulation. However, the mechanisms linking nuclear organization to transcriptional control remain largely unknown. We investigate how protein assemblies shape nuclear architecture and how their spatial organization influences transcription, cellular identity, and cell fate during development, tissue homeostasis, and disease.

How do molecular assemblies shape biological function?

Understanding transcription requires connecting molecular mechanisms with biological function. We therefore study regulatory protein assemblies across multiple levels of biological complexity: from purified molecular systems and cultured cells to advanced cellular models, including organoids. By integrating molecular and cell biology, biochemistry, genome engineering, quantitative imaging, functional genomics, and computational approaches, we investigate how molecular assemblies regulate gene expression in physiological and disease contexts.

Our Vision

We believe that higher-order protein assembly is a fundamental organizational principle of transcriptional regulation. Understanding how regulatory proteins assemble and function within the nucleus will reveal new mechanisms by which cells establish and maintain gene expression programmes. Our long-term vision is to establish Transcriptional Assembly Biology as a conceptual framework for understanding transcriptional regulation. We seek to bridge molecular mechanisms with cellular and tissue-level biology, uncovering how regulatory protein assemblies govern cellular identity during development and how their dysregulation contributes to cancer and other human diseases. By integrating mechanistic studies with advanced cellular models, we aim to define general principles by which protein assemblies coordinate transcription across biological systems, providing new insights into development, tissue homeostasis, and human disease.