Andrew Klocko, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, has been awarded an impressive five-year, $1.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to pursue his research project “Genome Organization and Function in Fungi.”
Klocko’s research involves using the fungal system Neurospora crassa to learn more about DNA and its composition, which can in turn help us understand similar organization in human cells. Neurospora crassa acts a useful model with its similarities to human cell systems, making it an ideal organism for testing and learning.
“My expertise is in epigenetics and genome organization, which is basically how the DNA is folded in the nucleus and what proteins are associated with DNA,” Klocko explained. “The proteins that are associated with DNA, histone proteins, form nucleosomes. They wrap the DNA and they help to compact and organize and show to the cell the properties that DNA is supposed to have. What we’re now exploring is how the composition of those proteins on the DNA help organize how the DNA folds in three-dimensions.”
By furthering this research, it opens the door to a litany of possible future applications and uses, such as how to fight fungal infections in agriculture or people, or using the fungi as a model for human cells in cancer treatments. By understanding the fungal genome, that understanding can be eventually extrapolated to the human body.
“We’re trying to understand how and why the pieces of the DNA interact in the nucleus,” said Klocko. “Once we understand that, it might give clues to fungal pathogens or to human cancer cells, for example.
The grant is an exciting investment in Klocko’s research on its own, and allows him to continue his previous research while also providing the resources to pursue new directions within the field that haven’t been explored yet. It also creates exciting opportunities for students by helping to allocate and redirect funding for employment in lab work, giving them a chance to learn knowledge and skills within the field they’re studying without sacrificing income opportunities.
“Resources from grants like this allows me to train undergraduate and master’s students at UCCS for careers in biomedical sciences,” he emphasized. “I’ve had students go off into medical school, optometry school, physician assistant school and a variety of other careers. If they continue on with research, even though it could be in completely different subject, I’ve provided the training in critical thinking and problem-solving skills necessary for those research careers. Being able to support my students while they’re being trained in fundamental research skills such as data analysis, data interpretation, experimental design – it’s very rewarding to see my students go off and thrive in what they do, regardless of different career paths.”
Learn more about Andrew Klocko’s research and publications online.