Part of a human cell nucleus. Green fluorescence shows nuclear F-actin and the coloured image is a map representing the states of genome (chromatin) packaging.
An international research team comprising scientists from the Universities of Bristol, Marburg (Germany) and Kinki (Japan) has been awarded a grant from the 2016 Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP). The award, made after a rigorous year-long selection process, is designed to promote cutting edge research into complex biological systems. The team, comprising the laboratories of Professor Robert Grosse (Marburg), Dr Abderrahmane Kaidi (Bristol) and Dr Kei Miyamoto (Kikni), has been awarded $1.05 million (approx. £740,000) for a three-year study on the role of nuclear filamentous-actin (F-actin) in regulating genome organisation and function. Dr Kaidi said: "Within the cytoplasm of a cell, F-actin forms fibrous dynamic structures, which provide a delicate cellular framework and control a range a biological functions such as cell movement and muscle contraction. The existence of this form of F-actin in the nucleus of mammalian somatic cells has been debated for decades. "Thanks to new advancements in cell imaging techniques, nuclear F-actin can be detected in cell nucleus in specific conditions, which raises the possibility that it may regulate genome organisation and function. This HFSP award will focus on testing this hypothesis and applying this knowledge to further understand fundamental biological processes, including genome organisation during cell division and cellular reprogramming." The research will apply state-of-the art optogenetic tools for spatial and temporal control of nuclear F-actin, and simultaneously visualise genome dynamics in intact cells using cutting-edge cell imaging techniques.
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