The innovative research project of an early-career plant scientist at the John Innes Centre has attracted a prestigious funding award from a global health charity.
Dr Miguel Montez, a post-doctoral scientist in the group of Professor Caroline Dean FRS, has received the Early-Career Award from the Wellcome Trust.
The award, worth a total of £1.4m over five years, will fund a project titled: “Understanding how local 3D chromatin structure determines gene regulation and environmental responses.”
The funding is a major boost for Dr Montez in his ambition of becoming an independent group leader, leading his own research team.
It reflects his impressive recent experimental discoveries relating to chromatin organisation and the role it plays in allowing cells to sense and respond to the environment, which has major relevance for both plant and human health.
“I am delighted to receive this funding, which comes at such an exciting time for me. My project is uniquely positioned to address an important knowledge gap in chromatin biology,” said Dr Montez.
“The project is focused on discovering fundamental principles that are part of gene and genome regulation and relevant to all complex organisms such as plants and humans,” he added.
Chromatin is the macromolecule comprising DNA and proteins which make up chromosomes, the genetic information-carrying components of the cell.
Increasing evidence supported by developments in microscopy and computational biology have shown the importance of chromatin structure in determining gene activity. But there remains a knowledge gap in the field in understanding the fine-scale level of chromatin organisation.
Better understanding of how chromatin changes in response to the environment may allow us to create climate resilient traits in crops and to develop therapies for a range of human diseases.
Wellcome Early-Career Awards provide funding for promising researchers from any discipline who are ready to develop their research identity as independent leaders.
Through innovative projects they are funded to deliver shifts in understanding related to human life, health and wellbeing. The awards are designed to prepare researchers to lead their own independent research programmes.
As Dr Montez does not currently hold an independent position at the John Innes Centre, his project will be hosted by Professor Antony Dodd, an expert in circadian biology and a head of department at the research institute.
Other collaborators in his recent research output are Prof Rosana Collepardo-Guevara at the University of Cambridge and Prof Nick Gilbert at the Medical Research Council, Edinburgh.
“This award is richly deserved and follows recent breakthrough research by Miguel and his collaborators,” said Professor Dodd.
“I look forward to hosting his groundbreaking research project and supporting its ambitious aims.”
The Wellcome grant covers research expenses and a post-doctoral research position for a scientist who will be line-managed by Dr Montez.
“This gives me an excellent opportunity to develop my mentoring and supervisory skills. This grant will also establish my niche in a new area of research and identify emerging opportunities to leverage in my future career.”
“My approach will be to bring together talented researchers in an interdisciplinary, collaborative team, to help us solve some of the most interesting and pressing challenges in molecular biology for the benefit of human and plant health,” he added.
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