Project Funded in the 2020 Cycle:
The Office of the Vice Provost for Research is pleased to announce the first awardees for our Discovering the Future Grant program. Thirty-six competitive applications were submitted in response to the inaugural request for proposals and we thank all those members of the Penn faculty who submitted.
We wish to congratulate the following awardees for their proposal:
Solving the Centromere Problem for Creating Artificial Chromosomes
Michael Lampson (PI)
Professor
School of Arts and Sciences
Department of Biology
Ben Black (Co-PI)
Eldridge Reeves Johnson Foundation Professor
Perelman School of Medicine
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics
Abstract
Artificial chromosomes have enormous potential for synthetic biology and fundamental studies of mammalian genetic inheritance and chromosome evolution and will drive radical advances in medicine. The overall goal of this proposal is to solve the centromere problem in creating mammalian artificial chromosomes (MACs) in an animal model (mouse). Centromeres are essential for mitotic and meiotic propagation of any chromosome, but they are not simply genetically encoded in mammals and therefore not easily incorporated into the synthetic DNA template on which a MAC is built. This collaborative project builds on recent advances from the two PIs (Michael Lampson and Ben Black) that have opened new avenues to solve the centromere problem and define how centromere DNA sequence impacts function. Success will lead to transformative advances in synthetic biology, with broad future applications, and provide powerful new tools for fundamental chromosome studies. The ability to customize MACs with specific functional features will open virtually unlimited possibilities to address new questions emerging from our initial studies. The mouse system is also ideal for testing and debugging MACs in a relatively rapid and tractable animal model. In future studies, MACs that are transmitted through the germline in vivo will serve as unique and powerful tools both for synthetic biology applications and for fundamental studies of genetic inheritance and chromosome evolution.
Discovering the Future research grant supports Penn faculty in blue sky, high risk/high reward research. Grants will range from $100k to 400k. Fundamental scientific research has been the cornerstone of the continuous improvement in the quality of life over the last century. Scientific research is also the origin of technological advances that underpin our national economy. Because of declining Federal funding for scientific research while simultaneously support for low risk research, the grant fills the void by supporting Penn faculty high risk research.
Grants will be targeted to creative, out of the box ideas with the potential to alter the trajectory of the given field. The goal of the program is to transition exciting new ideas to the point at which they can be sustained by other modes of support.
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Discovering the Future Research Grant
Project Funded in the 2020 Cycle:
The Office of the Vice Provost for Research is pleased to announce the first awardees for our Discovering the Future Grant program. Thirty-six competitive applications were submitted in response to the inaugural request for proposals and we thank all those members of the Penn faculty who submitted.
We wish to congratulate the following awardees for their proposal:
Solving the Centromere Problem for Creating Artificial Chromosomes
Michael Lampson (PI)
Professor
School of Arts and Sciences
Department of Biology
Ben Black (Co-PI)
Eldridge Reeves Johnson Foundation Professor
Perelman School of Medicine
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics
Abstract
Artificial chromosomes have enormous potential for synthetic biology and fundamental studies of mammalian genetic inheritance and chromosome evolution and will drive radical advances in medicine. The overall goal of this proposal is to solve the centromere problem in creating mammalian artificial chromosomes (MACs) in an animal model (mouse). Centromeres are essential for mitotic and meiotic propagation of any chromosome, but they are not simply genetically encoded in mammals and therefore not easily incorporated into the synthetic DNA template on which a MAC is built. This collaborative project builds on recent advances from the two PIs (Michael Lampson and Ben Black) that have opened new avenues to solve the centromere problem and define how centromere DNA sequence impacts function. Success will lead to transformative advances in synthetic biology, with broad future applications, and provide powerful new tools for fundamental chromosome studies. The ability to customize MACs with specific functional features will open virtually unlimited possibilities to address new questions emerging from our initial studies. The mouse system is also ideal for testing and debugging MACs in a relatively rapid and tractable animal model. In future studies, MACs that are transmitted through the germline in vivo will serve as unique and powerful tools both for synthetic biology applications and for fundamental studies of genetic inheritance and chromosome evolution.
Discovering the Future research grant supports Penn faculty in blue sky, high risk/high reward research. Grants will range from $100k to 400k. Fundamental scientific research has been the cornerstone of the continuous improvement in the quality of life over the last century. Scientific research is also the origin of technological advances that underpin our national economy. Because of declining Federal funding for scientific research while simultaneously support for low risk research, the grant fills the void by supporting Penn faculty high risk research.
Grants will be targeted to creative, out of the box ideas with the potential to alter the trajectory of the given field. The goal of the program is to transition exciting new ideas to the point at which they can be sustained by other modes of support.
PennKey Login to Begin ApplicationComplete Guidelines
The user has read and acknowledges the applicability of the SurveryMonkey Privacy Policy when using this service. The SurveyMonkey policy may be found here. For Information on the Privacy Policy of the University of Pennsylvania please click here.
Report accessibility issues & get help