Peeking inside telomeres to learn how they protect chromosomes
Unraveling the Telomere Black Box: A New Single-Molecule Approach to Define the Telomere Chromatin Landscape and its Functional Mechanisms
Researchers are developing a single-molecule method to reveal how telomere proteins protect chromosome ends, which could help people with cancer or premature aging.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11014665 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you or a loved one have cancer or a condition linked to short telomeres, this project looks inside the tiny chromosome end caps called telomeres to see how proteins and RNA coat them. The team is building a new single-molecule technique to map the full telomere chromatin landscape that standard methods miss. By reading how individual proteins bind and organize on telomeres, they hope to connect those patterns to telomere stability and length control. The work uses molecular experiments in cells and advanced sequencing and imaging to open the current “black box.”
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants would be people with cancers linked to telomere dysfunction or genetic short-telomere syndromes who can provide blood or tissue samples for research.
Not a fit: People without telomere-related conditions or those seeking immediate clinical treatment are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this basic science project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new biomarkers or targets that help preserve telomere function and reduce cancer or premature aging risk.
How similar studies have performed: Telomere biology has a strong research history, but applying a single-molecule chromatin-mapping approach to telomeres is novel and largely untested.
Where this research is happening
Madison, United States
- University of Wisconsin-Madison — Madison, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lim, Ci Ji — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Study coordinator: Lim, Ci Ji
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.