Claudio Cantù
OUR MISSION
The Cantù Lab at LiU is focused on one important goal: to discover the mechanisms of genome regulation that drive cell differentiation and specialization during embryonic development.
In the Cantù lab we are interested in gene regulation. We make use of mouse genetics, human cell lines, organoids, and other model organisms, to discover the activity of multiple gene regulators and how they cooperate, across different cell types, to the activation of the correct genes.
Our experimental efforts are focused on the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway, a molecular cascade important for virtually all aspects of development, and whose deregulation causes human malformations and several forms of aggressive cancers, among which colorectal cancer.
OUR VALUES
CREATIVITY: There are questions about reality that we wish to answer – by whatever means. We explore ideas, try to generate new tools, and embrace failure to become more inventive.
FANTASY: Creative ideas and motivation come from a place of quiet but enthusiastic imagination. We hope that we will never lose the quality that children have to dream with eyes wide open.
COLLEGIALITY: We share one mission and work together to accomplish it. Others’ success is also ours.
FREEDOM: We feel free to experiment new crazy ideas. But also to criticize them if we feel that they can be improved. And a good experiment never fails into revealing a piece of reality, even when our hypothesis is wrong.
TRUSTWORTHINESS: We do our best such that what we do, however small, can be relied upon. We live our values such that our coworkers and collaborators can trust we are doing our best.
OUR STRENGTHS
As members of the SciLifeLab community we offer expertise in the detection the measurement of the activity of Gene Regulators – both their physical behaviour via CUT&RUN or ChIP-seq and functional activity by looking at the consequence on transcription. We excel in investigating gene regulators biology from A (extraction of cells from model systems) to Z (complete bioinformatics analysis and its interpretation).
We also claim expertise in cell communication and cell differentiation. We have particular knowledge on the mechanisms of Wnt signaling, a field in which we are participants and lovers since about 15 years. How Wnt affects development and cancer is a fashinating problem with many questions that still need to be addressed. And we are working hard to address them.
Group members
Simon Söderholm (Postdoc)
Yorick van de Grift (Postdoc)
Anna Nordin (PhD Student)
Tamina Weiss (PhD Student)
Jente Zijlstra (incoming PhD Student)
Asma Gul (incoming PhD Student)
Jakob Hajman (Scholarship student)
To see current and previous members of the Cantù Lab, our Values, Interests and ongoing projects, please visit our Webpage: