Researchers Awarded Veni Grants to Study DNA Regulation and its Impact on Gene Expression

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Researchers at the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI) have been awarded Veni grants to study DNA regulation and its impact on gene expression. The grants will fund research on how the 3D structure of DNA affects gene regulation and whether it determines whether a gene is turned on or off. The researchers will use magnetic particles to change the shape of DNA in living cells and measure the effects on gene activity. Veer Keizer and Rik Lindeboom have both received a Veni grant from the Dutch Research Council (NWO) to study gene regulation and the MYC protein involved in cell growth and division.

Key Takeaways:

  • Researchers Veer Keizer and Rik Lindeboom have received Veni grants to study DNA regulation and its impact on gene expression.
  • The grants will fund research on how the 3D structure of DNA affects gene regulation and whether it determines whether a gene is turned on or off.
  • Keizer aims to investigate how the shape of DNA determines whether a gene is turned on or off, while Lindeboom studies the MYC protein involved in cell growth and division.
  • The MYC protein is involved in 70% of all tumors and plays a role in the process of switching genes on and off.
  • Lindeboom focuses on breast cancer cells and studies how small changes in the amount of MYC can reprogram healthy cells into cancer cells.
  • The researchers will use magnetic particles to change the shape of DNA in living cells and measure the effects on gene activity.
  • The Veni grant, worth up to €320,000, will fund the research for the next three years.

Statistics:

  • 200 researchers across various fields were awarded Veni funding this year.
  • The MYC protein is involved in 70% of all tumors.
  • €320,000 is the maximum grant allowance for the Veni program.
  • The research aims to gain a better understanding of the molecular process involving many steps, and define those steps.

Sources:

  • Netherlands Cancer Institute
  • Dutch Research Council (NWO)
  • Contify.com