The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences awarded the University of Kansas Medical Center Research Institute $249,000 on September 11, 2025, under the Environmental Health program (CFDA 93.113) to support research on the dynamics of oxidative DNA demethylation in chromatin.
The award funds a mentored career development project (K99/R00 award R00ES036599) that investigates how chromatin structure affects the efficiency of active DNA demethylation by TET2 and thymine DNA glycosylase (TDG). The research employs two phases. During the mentored K99 phase, the candidate receives training in CRISPR/CAS9-based cell line engineering, single-particle tracking in live cells, nucleosome core particle reconstitution, and cryo-electron microscopy at the University of Pittsburgh and through expert collaborators. The training phase includes Aim 1, which characterizes the dynamics of TDG diffusion and binding to chromatin in living cells, examines TDG binding to oxidized 5-methylcytosine on single-molecule DNA substrates, and resolves the structure of TDG bound to nucleosomes using cryo-EM. The independent R00 phase follows, enabling the candidate to establish an independent research program.
Performance occurs in Kansas City, Kansas. The period of performance runs through August 31, 2029.