Development of new technologies to study the connection between chromosome architecture and regulation of the gene expression program

像计算机一样，我们的细胞依赖于操作系统来驱动正常功能。基因表达程序是我们细胞发挥这些生物功能所依赖的主要源代码。因此，保持基因表达程序的完整性对所有细胞都至关重要。管理基因表达程序的规则正在迅速扩大，主要是由于新的尖端技术的出现。有了这项发现补助金，我们的研究计划将研究染色体（DNA）结构如何与基因表达程序的调控相联系。每个基因的表达是高度动态的，因为基因产物（RNA）需要根据细胞环境而增加和减少。我们将开发新技术，在任何给定时间动态测量基因表达。染色体结构在细胞分裂期间也是高度动态的。此外，染色体大小需要调整以适应小的核空间。因此，我们将开发新的方法来研究染色体构象全球。随着研究界从单基因分析转向同时可视化所有基因的全球方法，这些尖端技术是必要的。该研究计划将利用全球基因组技术培养下一代高素质人才，以解决生物学问题。由此产生的方法将很容易适应加拿大科学界正在进行的许多研究项目。总的来说，这项研究计划将通过为快速发展的研究领域提供新的尖端基因组工具和高素质的人才，使加拿大受益匪浅。

Like computers, our cells depend on operating systems to drive normal functions. The gene expression program is the main source code our cells rely on to play these biological functions. Therefore, maintaining the integrity of the gene expression program is critical for all cells. Rules governing the gene expression program are expanding rapidly mainly fueled by the arising of new cutting-edge technologies. With this Discovery Grant, our research program will study how the chromosome (DNA) structure is connected to regulation of the gene expression program. Expression of each gene is highly dynamic as gene products (RNA) need to be increased and decreased depending on the cellular context. We will develop new technologies to dynamically measure gene expression at any given time. The chromosome structure is also highly dynamic during cell division. Moreover, chromosome sizes need to be adapted to fit the small nuclear space. Therefore, we will develop new methods to study chromosome conformation globally. These cutting-edge technologies are needed as the research community moves from single gene analysis to global methods visualizing all genes at once. This research program will train the next-generation of highly qualified personnel using global genomic technologies to address biological questions. The resulting methods will be easily adaptable to many research programs ongoing in the Canadian scientific community. Overall, this research program will greatly benefit Canada by providing new cutting-edge genomic tools and highly qualified personnel to a rapidly evolving research field.