Our Science – Misteli Website

Tom Misteli, Ph.D.

Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression Head, Cell Biology of Genomes Group Senior Investigator Building 41 Room B610 Bethesda, MD 20892 Phone:   301-402-3959 Fax:   301-496-4951 E-Mail:   mistelit@mail.nih.gov

Biography

Tom Misteli received his Ph.D from the University of London and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, London, UK. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, NY, where he initiated the use of in vivo imaging techniques to visualize gene expression processes in living cells. Since then his work has provided fundamental insights into genome function and nuclear architecture. Dr. Misteli has received numerous national and international awards and he serves on several editorial boards.

Research

The Cell Biology of Genomes

My laboratory studies the cell biology of genomes. We use molecular techniques in conjunction with live-cell microscopy to understand how genomes are organized in intact cells and how the spatial organization of genomes contributes to their function. These studies provide insights into basic biological mechanisms and provide the basis for novel clinical applications.

A critical aspect of understanding genome function is to uncover how genomes are spatially organized in a cell nucleus. We have initiated studies to map the positioning of chromosomes and genes within the nucleus and we are testing how their positioning affects gene expression and regulation.

Defects in genome organization and nuclear architecture are responsible for numerous human diseases including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and muscular dystrophies and they have recently been linked to human aging. We are using several differentiation and disease models, including embryonic and adult stem cells, to elucidate how genome organization contributes to physiological processes and disease, particularly cancer and aging.

This page was last updated on 7/18/2008.