Summary: Researchers have received a grant to study the relationship between sleep, genome organization, and cognitive function, aiming to uncover how sleep deprivation affects brain processes at the molecular level by integrating expertise in sleep physiology, genome structure analysis, and behavioral neuroscience. Using genetic and chemical tools, the team will simulate the effects of sleep and deprivation across species, potentially revealing universal principles of sleep’s impact on cognition and guiding future treatments for neurodegenerative diseases and learning challenges.
Key Takeaways:
- Grant for Interdisciplinary Research: Researchers from diverse fields received funding to explore how sleep and genome organization interact to influence cognition.
- Molecular Focus on Sleep Deprivation: The project will use advanced tools to manipulate genome structure and study its effects on learning and memory after sleep deprivation.
- Broader Implications: Findings could advance treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, brain injuries, and cognitive challenges related to sleep disorders.
Masashi Tabuchi, PhD, of Case Western Reserve University, Farzaneh Najafi of Georgia Tech, and Longzhi Tan, PhD, of Stanford University were awarded a Scialog grant for their work in sleep and cognition research.
Each receive $55,000 (direct cost $50,000 plus indirect cost $5,000) to pursue their project “Rewiring Genome in 3D to Enhance Cognition After Sleep Deprivation Across Species.”
The research aims to uncover the fundamental relationship between sleep, three-dimensional genome organization, and cognitive function. Sleep is known to play a vital role in regulating chromatin dynamics and gene expression, which directly influence learning and memory. By studying these processes across different species, the team seeks to identify universal principles of how sleep affects brain function at the molecular level.
The project brings together three complementary areas of expertise: Najafi’s work in cerebellar physiology and mouse behavior, Tan’s pioneering research in single-cell 3D genome structure analysis, and Tabuchi’s extensive background in sleep physiology and neural coding. This interdisciplinary collaboration will employ chemical and genetic tools to manipulate 3D genome structure, allowing the team to simulate the molecular effects of sleep and sleep deprivation while studying their impact on cognitive abilities.
Scialog: Molecular Basis of Cognition is designed to catalyze research in understanding the brain’s functional architecture, neuronal signaling pathways, and neuroplasticity regulation. These advances could lead to improved treatments for brain injury, neurodegenerative diseases, and enhanced learning methodologies.
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