The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $229,840 Project Grant under the Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) to Brandeis University in Waltham, MA. The grant will support research to investigate how a specialized genome region called heterochromatin, formed by the protein HP1, helps cells maintain epigenetic memory - the heritable patterns of gene expression that allow cells to take on specialized forms and functions. The project has three key objectives: (1) engineer synthetic H3K9me binding modules to test how compartmentalization influences epigenetic memory, (2) determine how compartmentalization buffers cells from stochastic noise, and (3) identify critical sequence features and protein-protein interactions of HP1 that facilitate epigenetic inheritance. The research will leverage the fission yeast model organism and also establish the Yeast Epigenetics Teaching Initiative (YETI) to provide research opportunities for undergraduate and high school students. No subawards are planned under this award, which has a period of performance from March 2025 through February 2030.
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