Rice University’s Anna-Karin Gustavsson has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award to advance her research on gene regulation dynamics. The five-year, $788,823 grant will support the development of innovative tools to visualize, quantify and analyze DNA organization and interactions in real time.
Gustavsson’s research aims to enhance our understanding of how DNA organization within cells influences gene expression, a fundamental process for cellular function. Studying disruptions in gene regulation — linked to numerous diseases — at the necessary resolution remains challenging. By developing and applying cutting-edge techniques, her project seeks to overcome these difficulties and provide unprecedented insights into the relationship between DNA structure and gene activity.
“Receiving this award is an incredible honor and a testament to the importance of advancing our understanding of gene regulation,” said Gustavsson, assistant professor in chemistry and a Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) Scholar. “With these new tools, we hope to gain a deeper understanding of how DNA organization influences gene expression, ultimately paving the way for novel therapeutic approaches.”
Gustavsson’s team will develop specialized labeling and advanced 3D nanoscale imaging tools to examine how key genomic elements, such as enhancers and promoters, interact. By studying these interactions in both unaltered human cells and during controlled perturbations of cellular nuclear function, the project aims to reveal fundamental mechanisms of gene regulation, offering insights that could shape the broader fields of genetics and molecular biology.
“By integrating novel imaging approaches with precise genetic manipulations, we can directly observe how different genomic regions interact and influence gene expression,” Gustavsson said. “This research will provide a new framework for understanding how dynamic changes in chromatin organization contribute to normal cellular function and disease states.”
Educational and outreach initiatives
In addition to scientific discovery, Gustavsson’s research incorporates educational and outreach efforts targeting high school teachers and students in the Houston Independent School District.
These initiatives will foster engagement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and promote a deeper understanding of gene regulation among young learners.
“We want to inspire the next generation of scientists by demonstrating the power of using cutting-edge imaging technologies to answer complex biological questions,” Gustavsson said.
Pioneering work in biophysics and nanoscale imaging
Gustavsson joined the faculty at Rice in 2020, and her research group specializes in 3D single-molecule tracking and super-resolution imaging in mammalian cells. The team strives to gain detailed insights into cellular nanoscale structures, dynamics and molecular mechanisms, focusing on applications related to diseases such as laminopathies and cancers.
She earned her doctorate in physics from the University of Gothenburg in 2015 before conducting postdoctoral research in the Nobel laureate W.E. Moerner’s laboratory at Stanford University. Her contributions to the field have been widely recognized, earning her numerous awards including the FEBS Journal Richard Perham Prize for Young Scientists, the PicoQuant Young Investigator Award, the NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award, the CPRIT Recruitment of First-Time Tenure-Track Faculty Members Award and the Edward S. and Fofo Lewis Chemistry Research Award.
The highly competitive NSF CAREER Awards are granted each year to a select cohort of early career faculty across all disciplines engaged in groundbreaking research and committed to growing their respective fields through outreach and education.