肉肉传媒

KENNESAW, Ga. | Feb 26, 2021

肉肉传媒 professor Anton Bryantsev has received a grant from the National Science Foundation to study organization of the cell nucleus.

The grant, more than $400,000 over three years, will help fund Bryantsev鈥檚 research focused on making gene manipulations safer and more efficient while also examining how proteins concentrate in isolated bodies within the nucleus of a cell.

鈥淭his grant is the culmination of years of preparative work, as well as of the support of my colleagues and administration,鈥� said Bryantsev, an assistant professor of developmental biology in the . 鈥淭he provided a seed grant for me to obtain preliminary data, and the Summer Research Fellows program gave me the time to work on my grant proposal. This support, plus the work of the students in my lab, pushed my ideas to success.鈥�

Bryantsev said his lab鈥檚 work sheds light on the regulation of nuclear proteins, which has implications for modifying genomes and changing the traits of cells and organisms. He said his laboratory seeks to influence nuclear processes for research and biotechnological needs.

鈥淭here is a need in biotechnology to go into the nucleus where we want to change the traits and behavior of cells,鈥� he said. 鈥淪urprisingly, with all the recent advancements in biotechnology, scientists don鈥檛 really have a comprehensive picture of how proteins get sorted inside the nucleus. Hopefully, through our experiments, we will get some insights about this aspect of nuclear functioning to make biotechnology techniques safer, reproduceable and more efficient.鈥�

Bryantsev, who credits undergraduate and graduate student researchers for helping him on this project, said that funds from the grant will expand opportunities for student involvement.

鈥淭he role of students in my lab cannot be understated,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e have a very good cohort of students genuinely interested in research, trying to figure out what鈥檚 going on inside cells. We鈥檙e building their skills and they use those abilities, along with their enthusiasm and energy, to do research that produces cool results. They are truly the driving force within in my lab.鈥�

The grant was funded through an NSF program called Facilitating Research at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (RUI). This funding opportunity鈥檚 objective is to engage RUI faculty members in their professional fields, build capacity for research at their institutions, and support the engagement of undergraduate researchers. The RUI program is open to predominantly undergraduate institutions that offer undergraduate and graduate degrees in NSF-supported fields, who have awarded 20 or fewer doctoral degrees in all NSF-supported fields during the combined previous two academic years.

Bryantsev鈥檚 application was a result of his participation in the , an initiative developed by 肉肉传媒 State鈥檚 Office of Research to support faculty in their pursuit of external research funding, especially opportunities involving undergraduate researchers.

The grant started February 1 and will end January 31, 2024.

鈥� Dave Shelles

Photos by David Caselli

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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 肉肉传媒 offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 45,000 students. 肉肉传媒 State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. 肉肉传媒 State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.