SOUTH CAROLINA RESEARCH FOUNDATION
Grant: $239,134 - National Institutes of Health - Sep. 9, 2009
No votes have been cast for this award yet
Join the conversation: Post a comment about this award
Award Description: RECQ HELICASES AND GENOMIC INSTABILITY The general goal of the parent grant for which this supplement is requested is to increase our understanding of how genomic stability relates to aging, development, and cancer. Our research focuses on the roles played by BLM helicase and WRN helicase in a variety of DNA transactions as they actually occur in human chromosomes. To accomplish this, we have engineered DNA constructs containing a mutated selectable marker gene and a second sequence that can restore function to the marker through recombination. Constructs are stably transfected into cell lines of interest. A double-strand break (DSB) can be introduced into the marker gene by transient expression of endonuclease I-SceI and so we can study spontaneous or DSB-induced recombination as well as other DSB repair events. By manipulating the expression levels of BLM, WRN, and related proteins in cell lines, we will assess the influence of BLM and WRN and associated proteins on recombination and DSB repair. We have recently started the second year of work under our grant support. We have made good progress on our specific aims, but we have no doubt that the achievement of our research goals can be substantially accelerated and enhanced by strategic additions to our lab personnel. In this application, we request funds to employ a postdoctoral associate and to employ a talented former lab member who earned a Masters degree several years ago and now wishes to return to the lab to pursue a PhD degree. The additional laboratory personnel will work on experiments that are described in our parent grant but have not yet been initiated. Specifically, one new lab member will study DNA transactions in human cell lines that are immortalized by overexpression of telomerase (rather than by SV40 as has been the case to this point), and the other new hire will be involved in engineering and using an experimental system to study interactions between DNA sequences located at dispersed locations in the human genome. Employing a postdoctoral scientist and a senior graduate student with the appropriate skills will provide our group with personnel that will be able to hit the ground running. Such hires will help the economy by job creation and will stimulate scientific discovery in our lab.
Project Description: As defined in the Award Description field.
Jobs Summary: None created (Total jobs reported: 0)
Project Status: Not Started
This award's data was last updated on Sep. 9, 2009. Help expand these official descriptions using the wiki below.
No comments have been added for this project.