Molecular rules that shape how genome packaging affects disease
Official title: Molecular Mechanisms and Compositional Control in Mesoscale Chromatin Domains
Funded at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital · NIH-11429627 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A science team at St. Jude is studying how tightly packed DNA in cells forms different shapes and how that impacts diseases and development.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Memphis, United States) |
| Project start | July 2, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $462,500 |
| NIH project number | 1R35GM166556-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11429627 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients with developmental disorders or diseases tied to genome regulation where future therapies might target chromatin structure.
✕Less likely to help
People without chromatin-related disease biology may not directly benefit from this basic mechanistic work.
What this research studies
Researchers will examine how chromatin organizes into distinct domains and how this organization influences gene activity. They will create synthetic chromatin samples to see what features make the DNA packages condense or separate. They will also study cell-free systems and cells to identify the key interactions that form these structures and how they keep euchromatin and heterochromatin apart. The goal is to connect the physical state of chromatin with changes in gene expression relevant to developmental disorders and disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Insights into chromatin organization could lead to new approaches to treat or prevent diseases linked to genome misregulation.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has shown that chromatin phase behavior relates to gene regulation, supporting potential impact of this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Memphis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gibson, Bryan a — St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
- Study coordinator: Gibson, Bryan a
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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.