New National Effort to Better Understand the Human Genome

A $30 million award brings together experts in engineering, biology, physics, artificial intelligence and medicine

Graphic of DNA

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Researchers at Duke University are joining a new national effort to better understand how physical shapes and forces affect how the human genome works and how that knowledge could eventually help repair damaged tissues and fight disease.

The project is part of the new Center for Genome Intelligence Engineering, a five-year research center funded by a $30 million award from the U.S. National Science Foundation. Based at Northwestern University, the center brings together experts in engineering, biology, physics, artificial intelligence and medicine. 

The researchers will study an often-overlooked aspect of the genome: its three-dimensional shape. While DNA

contains the instructions that guide how cells function, scientists believe that the physical shape and forces acting within DNA’s structures also plays an important role. Understanding those variables could reveal how cells develop their unique identities, respond to their surroundings, and retain biological “memories” of past experiences.

At Duke, the work will focus on heart and brain cells, two cell types that are especially difficult to repair after injury because they do not naturally regenerate. Duke researchers will provide experimental models that scientists across the center can use to explore how changes in genome organization affect cell behavior.

One of the Duke leaders is Tatiana Segura, a distinguished professor of biomedical engineering. Her lab develops biomaterials to help damaged brain tissue repair itself.

“This work could establish new principles for designing materials that help damaged tissues restore function and regenerate,” Segura said.

Nenad Bursac, a biomedical engineering professor known for growing functional human heart and muscle tissues, will join Segura.

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