Tineke Lenstra

Regulation of transcription (copying of a gene’s DNA) is essential for the normal growth and function of cells. In a single cell, transcription can show large fluctuations in activity over time, resulting in variability between cells in a population. Such variability can result in different cellular responses of individual cells, for example to drug treatment. Our lab uses and develops single-molecule imaging techniques to visualize individual protein and RNA molecules in living cells. Our goal is to understand the mechanisms of transcription variation and dynamics in single cells.