UROP Project

metabolism; epigenetics; genomics; lipid; liver disease

Research Mentor: James M. Jordan,
Department, College, Affiliation: Biology, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: jmjordan@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:

Looking for Research Assistants: No
Number of Research Assistants: 4
Relevant Majors: 1. Biology
2. Genetics
3. Chemistry
4. Computer Science
5. Computational Biology
(But open to all majors.)
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required:
Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 8,
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Sep. 3, 2024, 11-11:30a, https://fsu.zoom.us/j/91614446007
Sep. 4, 2024, 11-11:30a, https://fsu.zoom.us/j/91614446007
Sep. 5, 2024, 11-11:30a, https://fsu.zoom.us/j/91614446007

Project Description

Our project is about understanding how different environmental factors, like undernutrition or overnutrition, can change the way our cells function and how these changes can lead to health problems or diseases later in life. For example, more than 40% of Americans are obese, which can lead to serious health issues like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, liver problems, and even cancer.

Cells have to constantly adjust to changes in their environment. One way they do this is by controlling which genes are turned on or off using proteins called transcription factors. In the liver, these transcription factors tightly control the expression of genes involved in whole-body metabolism. However, when someone becomes obese due to a high-fat diet, the normal subcellular localization pattern of these transcription factors is disrupted, leading to harmful patterns of gene expression.

We’ve compared the proteins in the nuclei of liver cells from healthy mice to those from mice fed a high-fat diet for their entire lives. We found that certain transcription factors don’t go where they should during periods of fasting and feeding. To figure out which of these proteins are causing problems in liver metabolism, we will change the levels of these proteins in liver cells and observe the effects on gene and protein expression, sugar and fat metabolism, and how the cells produce energy. If we find a protein that seems to cause or prevent problems, we’ll study it more closely to understand how it works and test its effects in mice. This research could lead to new ways to treat metabolic diseases by targeting these key proteins and the processes they control.


Research Tasks: 1. Benchwork including working with human and mouse cell lines, genetic manipulation of cell lines, and phenotyping of cells using qPCR, Western blotting, microscopy, metabolic assays, and 'omics-based approaches.
2. Students will conduct data collection, statistical analysis and visualization of data, interpretation of complex datasets, and will integrate their findings into our existing body of knowledge.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Training will be provided.