The characteristics of organisms result largely from the dynamic interplay between DNA or RNA and the regulatory apparatus. The control of gene expression is fundamental to implement the information in the genome and to determine the properties of different organisms. Gene expression is regulated at multiple levels, and cells need to integrate external and internal cues and coordinate different regulatory levels to properly exert biological functions. We study transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene expression programmes during cellular proliferation, quiescence/ageing, and stress response using Schizosaccharomyces pombe as a model system. We apply multiple genetic and high-throughput approaches for systems-level understanding of regulatory networks and complex relationships between genotype, phenotype, and environment, including roles of genome variation and evolution, transcriptome regulation, and non-coding RNAs.