In biology, as in architecture, form defines function. Biological organisms are built to tolerate environmental stressors in much the same way as skyscrapers are built to withstand forces of wind and gravity. This project focuses on understanding the relationship between form and function in the nucleus, the cellular compartment that houses and organizes the hereditary material in the form of highly-compacted molecules of DNA. The key question to be addressed is, how are nuclear form and function influenced by mechanical properties? Experiments will apply mechanical forces to individual animal and plant cells, and changes in the shape of the nuclei and the function of the enclosed DNA will be measured. The results are expected to improve our ability to predict and manipulate how organisms respond and adapt to mechanical stresses encountered in the environment. In addition to the scientific advances, the project will have educational impact by providing training for early-career scientists to learn and implement principles and techniques that bridge biology and engineering.
This research combines comparative and experimental approaches to define rules that specify the physical and morphological characteristics of nuclei in both the animal and plant kingdoms. Key to these studies is the ability to measure the physical properties of individual nuclei through bioengineering and biophysical approaches, using microscopic examination of isolated organelles and cells as they transit through spatial constrictions in microfluidic devices. The experimental plan seeks to understand the interplay of epigenetically-relevant features--such as chromatin modifications—with nuclear structure and mechanics to uncover the role that the environment plays in modulating these interactions. Elucidating the mechanisms mediating such interactions will bring us closer to an understanding of how the environment influences (epi)genome function and, ultimately, plant and animal traits.
This project is funded by the Understanding the Rules of Life: Epigenetics Program, administered as part of NSF's Ten Big Ideas through the Division of Emerging Frontiers in the Directorate for Biological Sciences. Co-funding is provided by the Cellular Dynamics and Function Program, Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, Directorate for Biological Sciences.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
