Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) awarded a $363,570 Project Grant to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) effective March 15, 2026, through February 28, 2030, under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859). This award funds the development of integrative computational and analytical methods to reconstruct three-dimensional (3D) genome structures from single cells by combining imaging data with multi-omics datasets. The project will deliver advanced probabilistic approaches capable of achieving 100-fold improvements in resolution and coverage compared to imaging-only methodologies, enabling unprecedented analysis of genome organization at approximately 200 kilobase resolution or better.

The research initiative encompasses three primary deliverables: (1) development of integrative genome modeling methods that synthesize sparse imaging and multi-omics data to infer high-resolution single-cell 3D genome structures while minimizing experimental bias; (2) structure-function mapping analysis of three-dimensional regulatory architecture in mouse embryonic stem cells and brain cortex tissue to systematically classify genes by their regulatory microenvironments and their roles in gene expression; and (3) expansion of the Integrative Genome Modeling (IGM) platform for broader application. These products will advance fundamental understanding of gene regulation, chromatin architecture, and epigenetic processes critical to cellular function and development.