A research centre in Dundee is upgrading its core facilities—microscopes, protein analysers, and supercomputers—to keep watching how genes switch on and off inside living cells. Gene regulation is the process that tells a skin cell to be a skin cell and a nerve cell to be a nerve cell. When it goes wrong, it can lead to cancer, developmental disorders, and other diseases. The centre’s researchers combine advanced imaging with proteomics (the study of proteins) and computational analysis to track the molecular machines that read, copy, and package DNA in real time. They want to understand not just what genes are present, but how they are dynamically controlled inside the nucleus. This is fundamental science. It does not aim to produce a drug or a diagnostic test tomorrow. Instead, it builds the foundational knowledge that future applied research depends on. Past work in gene regulation has already led to CRISPR gene editing and mRNA vaccines. A deeper quantitative understanding of how chromosomes are organised and how protein complexes assemble could eventually inform new strategies for treating diseases where gene expression goes awry, or for engineering cells with precise new functions.
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We seek renewed strategic support for the Wellcome Trust Centre for Gene Regulation and Expression, (GRE) (http://gre.lifesci.dundee.ac.uk/), which was established in 2008 in the College of Life Sciences at the University of Dundee (http://www.lifesci.dundee.ac.uk/). Our vision has been to pioneer new approaches in the field of cell biology that provide a quantitative understanding of gene regulation and chromosome biology using advanced imaging and proteomics technologies, combined with enhance d computational and data analysis tools. We use these technologies to characterise the composition, regulation and dynamic properties of organelles and multi-protein machines involved in transcription, splicing, replication, ribosome subunit production, chromatin structure and mitotic chromosome segregation. Our research aims are combined with a strong commitment to recruit and train the best young scientists in a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment. We promote science communication at all levels and engage in outreach activities to explain what we do in formats and language that are accessible to the broadest possible audience. This application seeks to maintain and upgrade the key central facilities for proteomics, microscopy, high performance computing and data analysis that underpin our research, including support staff and equipment and to renew funding for successful intramural activities, including training, colloquia, ISAB and outreach.
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