How cells manage genes is focus of new NSF-funded study In a
field of maize, no two leafy stalks of multicolored corn will
look exactly the same, even though they grew from seed cells
with identical genetic material. How cells with identical
genomes can express different traits is a longstanding biology
puzzle. Now, a distinguished team of Florida State University
scientists and a researcher from Florida A&M University (FAMU)
will work on that puzzle with a new, $1.45 million grant from
the National Science Foundation. The cutting-edge pilot study is
expected to shed light on the cellular mechanisms that regulate
gene expression. In other words, said Florida State molecular
biologist Hank W. Bass, the project leader, this study intends
to uncover the fundamental principles of how cells manage their
genetic information. "What we find will provide insights and
valuable comparisons for understanding how other plants and
animals regulate their genetic information," Bass said. "It may
bridge a gap between molecula