Understanding how telomere lengths are regulated in yeast
Official title: Mechanisms underlying chromosome specific telomere lengths in yeast
Funded at University of California Santa Cruz · NIH-10999415 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how the protective ends of chromosomes, called telomeres, are controlled in yeast, and it hopes to find out how different factors affect their lengths, which could help us understand more about cancer and aging in people.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Santa Cruz NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Santa Cruz, United States) |
| Project start | December 11, 2023 |
| Project end | November 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $461,353 |
| NIH project number | 5R01GM152471-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10999415 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for benefiting from this research include individuals with cancer or age-related degenerative diseases linked to telomere dysfunction.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with conditions unrelated to telomere length or those not affected by cancer or age-related diseases may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the mechanisms that control the lengths of telomeres, which are protective caps on the ends of chromosomes, in yeast. By using advanced nanopore sequencing techniques, the study aims to measure telomere lengths at a very detailed level and explore how different factors, such as specific DNA sequences and RNA molecules, influence these lengths. The findings could lead to new insights into how telomere length regulation is linked to cancer and age-related diseases, potentially paving the way for innovative therapeutic strategies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new treatments for cancer and age-related degenerative diseases by improving our understanding of telomere biology.
How similar studies have gone: While telomere biology is a well-studied field, the specific approach of using nanopore sequencing to analyze telomere lengths in yeast is relatively novel and has not been extensively tested.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Greider, Carol W — University of California Santa Cruz
- Study coordinator: Greider, Carol W
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Unlocking the full power of long-read DNA sequencing
A science team is improving long-read sequencing tools so researchers can get complete gene and transcript information from human and mouse tissues with easier, high-accuracy methods.
-
Protein–RNA interactions in cancer
A study to understand how a protein called IGF2BP3 affects RNA and metabolism in cancers, including high-risk acute leukemia.
-
Mess-free detection: a robust, antibody-free platform for multiplexed protein tests
This grant explores a new, highly stable designer protein and luciferase system to detect proteins at the point of care without antibodies, using multiple signals for better diagnostics.
-
Understanding how jellyfish eyes develop and regrow to learn about regeneration
Scientists are studying jellyfish to map how their eyes form and repair themselves, hoping to uncover clues that could someday help human medicine.
-
Understanding how variant histones influence cancer-related chromatin behavior
This NIH grant will map how histone variants interact with other proteins to influence chromatin and cancer-related processes.
-
New ways to compare thousands of human and vertebrate genomes
Aims to build scalable genome comparison tools and new formats to analyze genomes from thousands of species, with a focus on human and neurodevelopmental regions relevant to autism.
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.