How chromosomes line up and separate during egg and sperm formation
Official title: Synaptonemal Complex Assembly and Function in Meiosis
Funded at Harvard Medical School · NIH-11494124 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking at how a zipper-like structure that helps chromosomes pair during egg and sperm formation works, to help reduce miscarriages, infertility, and chromosome birth defects.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Harvard Medical School NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2005 |
| Project end | December 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $51,934 |
| NIH project number | 3R01GM072551-20S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11494124 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People affected by recurrent miscarriage, unexplained infertility, or parents of children with chromosomal disorders (such as Down syndrome) are the groups most likely to benefit from insights produced by this research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose conditions are unrelated to errors in meiotic chromosome segregation (for example, infertility due to hormonal, structural, or other non-meiotic causes) are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
This research uses a tiny worm (C. elegans) to learn how the synaptonemal complex, a zipper-like structure, helps chromosomes pair, repair DNA, and separate correctly during meiosis. Scientists combine genetics, high-resolution microscopy, and biochemical tests to find the proteins and chemical tags (for example, acetylation and genes like ASH1L) that control this process. By seeing how these parts work and fail in the worm, they aim to identify mechanisms that are conserved in humans. The goal is to connect basic molecular events to problems like aneuploidy that underlie miscarriage, infertility, and conditions such as Down syndrome.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to biological causes of miscarriage, infertility, and chromosomal birth defects and eventually inform better diagnosis or prevention strategies.
How similar studies have gone: Genetic and cell-biology studies in model organisms have previously clarified many core meiotic mechanisms, but translating those findings into human diagnostics or treatments is still at an early stage.
Where this research is happening
-
Harvard Medical School
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Colaiacovo, Monica P — Harvard Medical School
- Study coordinator: Colaiacovo, Monica P
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.