How the cell nucleus controls genes and disease
Molecular mechanisms in the mammalian cell nucleus
Researchers are building ultra-precise imaging tools to watch individual molecules and DNA inside living cells to learn how changes in the cell nucleus relate to cancer and other diseases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rice University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11121055 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This team will create and combine advanced single-molecule and super-resolution microscopes with 3D optics and light-sheet illumination to image molecules in living cells with very high spatial and time resolution. They will use special labeling methods, including dCas9-linked tags, to track chromatin (DNA and its proteins) over time and in three dimensions. The group will pair imaging with microfluidic control of the cell environment to see how nuclear structure and dynamics respond to changes that relate to cancers and inherited nuclear-envelope disorders. The work focuses on basic cellular mechanisms rather than testing a treatment, with the aim of revealing how nuclear organization affects gene activity during disease.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with cancers or inherited nuclear-envelope conditions (for example laminopathies or ciliopathies) would be the most relevant patient groups to connect with this research.
Not a fit: People seeking an immediate treatment benefit or those without diseases linked to nuclear or chromatin dysfunction are unlikely to directly benefit from this basic laboratory research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new markers or molecular steps in cancer and related diseases that lead to better diagnostics or drug targets in the future.
How similar studies have performed: Related labs have successfully used single-molecule imaging and CRISPR/dCas9 labeling to map chromatin behavior, but translating those findings into clinical tests or therapies is still early-stage.
Where this research is happening
Houston, United States
- Rice University — Houston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gustavsson, Anna Karin Eva — Rice University
- Study coordinator: Gustavsson, Anna Karin Eva
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 below.