Jorg Tost's Biography

Jorg Tost, Director, Centre National de Genotypage CEA

Jörg Tost received his PhD in genetics from the University of Saarbrücken (Germany) in 2004 devising novel methods for the analysis of haplotypes and DNA methylation patterns. After a postdoctoral stay in the technology development department of the Centre National de Génotypage (CNG, Evry, France), he led the Epigenetics groups from 2006-2012, before becoming Director of Laboratory for Epigenetics and Environment at the Centre National de Génotypage (part of the CEA-Institut de Génomique). The laboratory is involved in the development and application of technologies to analyse DNA methylation, miRNAs and other epigenetic modifications quantitatively at high resolution at target loci and genome-wide using state-of-the-art sequencing technologies as well as the development of bioinformatic tools for the processing of such data. While initially focussing on the analysis of DNA methylation patterns implicated in tumourigenesis, the laboratory has extended the analysis to immune-related and neurodegenerative diseases and in particular how environmental exposure influences epigenetic profiles. A second research axis investigates novel technologies for the analysis of mutations of clinical relevance present at very low proportions in the analyzed samples and their impact on treatment management. Jörg Tost is author or co-author of 75 publications of which 65 have appeared in Medline-listed journals, and is the editor of a book entitled “Epigenetics” (Horizon Scientific Press, 2008) and the 2nd Edition of « DNA methylation protocols » in the Methods of Molecular Biology series (2009) and senior editor of the journal “Epigenomics”.