The scope of this ITN is to promote research and training in the field of chromatin diseases. Chromatin diseases (CD) are genetic pathologies resulting from mutations in structural components of chromatin or in enzymes that biochemically modify chromatin, altering chromatin status and thereby causing drastic effects on gene expression. CD frequency ranges from very rare to quite common pathologies; so far for the vast majority of them no treatment is as yet available. Molecular studies on these pathologies thus have a twofold value: to shed light on the intricate interplays between different levels of control of gene expression acting in the mammalian nucleus and to pave the way toward new and more effective strategies to approach the treatment of this increasing class of diseases. Our students will take advantage of the integrated approach on multilayered gene regulation, the multidisciplinary nature and the cutting-edge methodologies, which are an integral part of this proposal. We thus expect to provide a framework for the very high-level training of young researchers, receiving a strong backgrounds in molecular, cellular and developmental biology, genomics, bioinformatics, chromatin biology and epigenetics. Furthermore, they will develop expertise in many cutting edge methodologies and tools, such as imaging, high throughput gene technologies, ChIP. As a result, the ESRs will be highly competitive in performing independent research in various areas of biology and will represent a new breed of scientists trained in contemporary post-genomic biology using advanced technological tools to tackle human disease.