FWF grant to study how genetic information bridges generations
A consortium of group leaders including the IMP's Andrea Pauli, David Haselbach, and Sven Klumpe, has been awarded an FWF Emerging Fields grant for GEMINI, a multi-institutional project investigating how germ cells safeguard and pass on genetic information across generations.
The project GEMINI – Germline’s Molecular Interactions at Nanoscale Imaging – was successful in securing a grant from the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) through its Emerging Fields Program.
GEMINI brings together researchers from the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), and the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) to draw from the expertise of a unique set of specialists: Andrea Pauli (IMP, coordinator; germline biology - fertilization), Julius Brennecke (IMBA; germline biology - transposons), David Haselbach (IMP; structural biology - proteostasis), Sven Klumpe (IMP and IMBA; cryo-Electron Tomography), and Anđela Šarić (ISTA; computational soft and living matter).
Genetic information across generations
Every generation of life depends on the germline—the specialized lineage of cells that gives rise to sperm and eggs and connects one generation to the next. These cells must faithfully preserve genetic information, protect it from internal threats, reorganize it to make it ready for transmission, and ultimately pass it on to the next generation. Despite their fundamental importance, many of the molecular processes that enable germ cells to safeguard and transmit genetic information remain poorly understood.
The GEMINI project aims to uncover how germ cells protect, package, and transmit genetic information at unprecedented u resolution. The researchers will investigate three critical stages of the germline lifecycle: how germ cells defend their genome against virus-like genetic elements, how DNA is dramatically reorganized during sperm formation, and how sperm and egg recognize and fuse with each other during fertilization.
To address these questions, GEMINI will make use of recent technological revolutions in cryo-Electron Tomography, which allows three-dimensional imaging of tissues in their native state, and molecular dynamics and computational image analysis approaches, combined with core expertise in germline biology and advanced genetics as well as biochemical techniques. By integrating expertise from five complementary research groups and studying multiple model organisms—including fruit fly, zebrafish, and mouse—the project aims to not only observe germline biology in action but understand how genetic information is safeguarded and transmitted across generations.
“The germline contains the most important cells in our bodies: without them, none of us would be here, and our entire species would not exist,” says project coordinator Andrea Pauli. “GEMINI will shed light on the fascinating biology hidden in these unique cells. By doing so, it will serve as a role model for the emerging field of ‘Integrated Cell Biology 2.0’ - how cross-fertilization between biology and technology can transform our understanding of fundamental questions in biology and at the same time advance technology.”
About the FWF’s Emerging Fields program
The Emerging Fields program is aimed at “teams of outstanding researchers doing pioneering work in basic research who are prepared to depart from established approaches”, according to the FWF. Its grants should give researchers the opportunity to pursue particularly high-risk ideas, and the program seeks to fund research that has the potential to trigger a paradigm shift in its field, resulting in disruptive innovation.
To ensure independent decisions based on scientific criteria in selecting grants, the FWF relies on a three-stage process. In the first step, an international, multidisciplinary jury assessed 37 applications for their potential to implement highly transformative and innovative ideas. Only applications that met the required degree of innovation were subsequently reviewed internationally and submitted to the FWF Board of Trustees, which drew up a shortlist of nine consortia. These consortia then presented their research projects to the jury at a hearing, which was followed by the selection.
Further Reading
FWF Emerging Fields Program
https://www.fwf.ac.at/en/funding/portfolio/excellentaustria/emerging-fields