Dr. Sheena D’Arcy receives a $2,398,872 award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for her project, The Role of Dynamics in Regulating Multi-Activity Protein Complexes and Chromatin, which will lead to a five-year examination into how cells control the entry to their genetic material. This project explores the complex system of protein exchanges that control DNA activity within the nucleus.

This research project focuses on a long-lasting genetic challenge of how eukaryotic cells control when and where proteins can reach DNA that is tightly wrapped around histone proteins to form nucleosomes. These nucleosomes often limit accessibility to DNA for vital processes like gene expression, DNA repair, and replication.

Dr. D’Arcy will use hydrogen-deuterium exchange and mass spectrometry (HDX-MS), an advanced method that reveals protein structure and flexibility in solution, to analyze how chromatin regulators impact nucleosome behavior. The results from this project are expected to deliver valuable insight into the mechanisms behind chromatin remodeling, with implications for diseases such as cancer and genetic disorders. This project will also offer new insights into the field of Chemistry and Biochemistry.