{"id":366,"date":"2024-03-18T20:42:06","date_gmt":"2024-03-18T20:42:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/?page_id=366"},"modified":"2025-11-13T11:11:06","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T11:11:06","slug":"gahan","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/gae\/groups\/gahan\/","title":{"rendered":"James Gahan"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"745\" height=\"745\" src=\"https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/james-gahan-e1710845024684-edited.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1270\" style=\"width:150px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/james-gahan-e1710845024684-edited.jpg 745w, https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/james-gahan-e1710845024684-edited-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/james-gahan-e1710845024684-edited-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/james-gahan-e1710845024684-edited-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 745px) 100vw, 745px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Dr James Gahan<\/strong><br>Senior Lecturer<br>ERC Starting Grant Awardee<br>james.gahan@universityofgalway.ie<br><a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" class=\"ek-link\" href=\"https:\/\/gahanlab.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Gahan Lab Website<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u00c1bhair Sp\u00e9ise<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u00c9abhl\u00f3id na nAinmhithe<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Difre\u00e1il agus Forbairt<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Gene Regulation and chromatin<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Achoimre Taighde<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify\">The group is broadly interested in how changes in genome regulation contributed to animal evolution. To fill this fundamental gap, the group focuses on two distinct model systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify\"><strong>Investigating the role of chromatin during cell differentiation in choanoflagellates, the closest relatives of animals<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify\">In the first project, funded by an ERC starting grant, we aim to reconstruct the origin and evolution of cell-type-specific gene expression by investigating the gene-regulatory mechanisms that drive life history transitions in choanoflagellates. Choanoflagellates are the closest living unicellular relatives of animals. They are thus extremely informative for dissecting the earliest stages of animal evolution. The primary species utilized in the lab in&nbsp;<em>Salpingoeca rosetta<\/em>.&nbsp;<em>S. rosetta<\/em>&nbsp;is a very useful and informative model for several reasons. Firstly, it has a complex life cycle with many different life stages which allow us to compare gene expression and chromatin in different cell types.&nbsp;<em>S. rosetta<\/em>&nbsp;also has a small genome (~55 Mb) and a chromosome level assembly is available. In addition, work in recent years has led to the development of transgenesis and genome editing in&nbsp;<em>S. rosetta<\/em>&nbsp;allowing us to perform functional experiments. Although&nbsp;<em>S. rosetta<\/em>&nbsp;is our primary model we are also interested in expanding our models to include new choanoflagellates and beyond<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f1538f5fd903f8d4d749e42e64ba3248\" style=\"font-size:10px\">.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"415\" height=\"342\" src=\"https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Choanoflagellate-life-cycle.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-488\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Choanoflagellate-life-cycle.png 415w, https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Choanoflagellate-life-cycle-300x247.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 415px) 100vw, 415px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><br>Life Cycle of <em><strong>Salpingoeca<\/strong><\/em> <em><strong>rosetta<\/strong><\/em>. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"540\" height=\"453\" src=\"https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Choanoflagellate-colony-1-e1710948394323.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-487\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Choanoflagellate-colony-1-e1710948394323.png 540w, https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Choanoflagellate-colony-1-e1710948394323-300x252.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Choanoflagellate colony showing DNA in cyan, microtubules in grey and actin in magenta. Photo: Jeffrey Colgren.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify\"><strong>Dissecting gene regulation in the sea anemone&nbsp;<em>Nematostella vectensis<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify\">In a second project we use the sea anemone&nbsp;<em>Nematostella&nbsp;<\/em>to investigate chromatin function during development and differentiation.&nbsp;<em>Nematostella&nbsp;<\/em>is part of the phylum cnidaria, the sister group to the majority of animals and thus in a pivotal phylogenetic position for understanding early animal evolution. We work to dissect chromatin regulation during development and also in differentiation, using the nervous system as a model. In doing so we aim to understand how the processes underlying developmental gene regulation in more \u201ccomplex\u201d animals first evolved while simultaneously addressing more general questions about the role of chromatin in development and differentiation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2148\" height=\"1269\" src=\"https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ad.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1716\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ad.png 2148w, https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ad-300x177.png 300w, https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ad-1024x605.png 1024w, https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ad-768x454.png 768w, https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ad-1536x907.png 1536w, https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ad-2048x1210.png 2048w, https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ad-18x12.png 18w, https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ad-600x354.png 600w, https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ad-945x558.png 945w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2148px) 100vw, 2148px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The sea anemone&nbsp;<em>Nematostella vectensis<\/em>&nbsp;(top left). Transgenics labelling neurons (top middle) or stinging cells (tog right) can be FACS-sorted and used for different omics-based epigenomic analyses (bottom panel).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Eochairfhocail<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Evolution, development, chromatin, histone modifications, differentiation, cnidarians, choanoflagellates, <em>Salpingoeca<\/em>&nbsp;<em>rosetta<\/em>, rial\u00fa g\u00e9ine, innealt\u00f3ireacht g\u00e9an\u00f3ma\u00edoch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cro\u00edtheichn\u00edochta\u00ed Taighde<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Functional genomics<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Genome Editing and transgenesis<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Micreasc\u00f3ipeacht<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Baill an Ghr\u00fapa<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Dr Clifton Lewis<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dr M. Eleonora Rossi (Post-Doc)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dr Patricia Su\u00e1rez Ara (Post-Doc)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Matthias Achrainer (PhD)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ni\u00f1o Posadas (PhD)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Joe Tuohy (PhD)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Selia Namouchi (PhD)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sin\u00e9ad O&#8217;Halloran (PhD)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Foilseach\u00e1in Roghnaithe<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/32868440\/\" class=\"ek-link\">The genetic basis for PRC1 complex diversity emerged early in animal evolution<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/35075108\/\" class=\"ek-link\">Histone demethylase Lsd1 is required for the differentiation of neural cells in <em>Nematostella vectensis<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/35999597\/\">A developmental role for the chromatin-regulating CoREST complex in&nbsp;<em>Nematostella vectensis<\/em>&nbsp;<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Foilseach\u00e1in is D\u00e9ana\u00ed <\/h4>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-rss\"><li class='wp-block-rss__item'><div class='wp-block-rss__item-title'><a href='https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/41312813\/?utm_source=WordPress&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=pubmed-2&#038;utm_content=12ukGnx_-plNNwn_wj4Ad4DXwxZdK55C6BSmHReysDIliMSMTf&#038;fc=20240320111137&#038;ff=20260416003556&#038;v=2.19.0.post6+133c1fe'>The SAFE Labs Handbook as a tool for improving lab culture<\/a><\/div><\/li><li class='wp-block-rss__item'><div class='wp-block-rss__item-title'><a href='https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/41162361\/?utm_source=WordPress&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=pubmed-2&#038;utm_content=12ukGnx_-plNNwn_wj4Ad4DXwxZdK55C6BSmHReysDIliMSMTf&#038;fc=20240320111137&#038;ff=20260416003556&#038;v=2.19.0.post6+133c1fe'>Chromatin profiling identifies putative dual roles for H3K27me3 in regulating cell type-specific genes and transposable elements in choanoflagellates<\/a><\/div><\/li><li class='wp-block-rss__item'><div class='wp-block-rss__item-title'><a href='https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/38854040\/?utm_source=WordPress&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=pubmed-2&#038;utm_content=12ukGnx_-plNNwn_wj4Ad4DXwxZdK55C6BSmHReysDIliMSMTf&#038;fc=20240320111137&#038;ff=20260416003556&#038;v=2.19.0.post6+133c1fe'>Chromatin profiling identifies putative dual roles for H3K27me3 in regulating transposons and cell type-specific genes in choanoflagellates<\/a><\/div><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Nascanna \u00c1isi\u00fala<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Pr\u00f3f\u00edl Ollscoile<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/?term=Gahan+JM&amp;cauthor_id=35442742\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">PubMed<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\"><a href=\"https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=TJn2HlgAAAAJ&amp;hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Google Scholar<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">T\u00e9igh i dTeagmh\u00e1il!<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>james.gahan@universityofgalway.ie<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dr James GahanSenior LecturerERC Starting Grant Awardeejames.gahan@universityofgalway.ieGahan Lab Website Research interests Research overview The group is broadly interested in how changes in genome regulation contributed to animal evolution. To fill this fundamental gap, the group focuses on two distinct model&#8230; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/gae\/groups\/gahan\/\">Continue Reading &rarr;<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":7,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","_eb_attr":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-366","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","category-groups"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/gae\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/366","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/gae\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/gae\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/gae\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/gae\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=366"}],"version-history":[{"count":70,"href":"https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/gae\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/366\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2099,"href":"https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/gae\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/366\/revisions\/2099"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/gae\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/gae\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=366"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/gae\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=366"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chromosome.ie\/gae\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}