# Developing cell type-specific enhancers and connectivity mapping pipelines for marmosets

> **NIH NIH UG3** · MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY · 2022 · $1,455,133

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
 Although genetic tools have dramatically advanced our understanding of brain function, they have
largely been confined to mice. While mice are essential models for many areas of neuroscience, there are also
many aspects of higher brain function that cannot be adequately modeled in rodents. Similarly, many brain
disorders affect higher cognitive functions that have no clear parallels in rodents. Furthermore, recent large-
scale single cell transcriptomic analyses have revealed many neuron types, connections and gene expression
patterns that are unique to primates. Thus, there is an urgent need for new genetic models that have brain
structure and function closer to humans. Non-human primates (NHP) are much more closely related to humans
than are rodents, and this is reflected in their brain development, structure and physiology. Hence, it is
increasingly recognized that they provide an attractive model to study higher brain function and brain disorders.
A promising emerging NHP model is the common marmoset, a small new world primate that has many
advantages for neuroscience and genetic research. However, lack of tools with cell type specificity has been a
major obstacle in advancing structural and functional studies in NHP. With the combined single cell RNA-seq
and single cell ATAC-seq, it is now possible to nominate short cell type-specific enhancer sequences. If
validated, these enhancers will provide an effective tool to map connectivity and interrogate function using
virus mediated expression. The difficulty lies in the identification of functional enhancers from the hundreds or
thousands of nominated potential enhancer sequences in NHP. Here we propose (1) to use a novel high
throughput in vivo approach to identify functional enhancers, and (2) to establish a whole-brain circuit mapping
pipeline for use striatal circuitry to validate our approach for cell type-specific connectivity mapping in
marmosets. When completed, these studies will provide much needed essential tools, methods and
computational pipelines for cell type-specific mapping and functional interrogation of the marmoset brain in
healthy and disease models.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10478105
- **Project number:** 5UG3MH126869-02
- **Recipient organization:** MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
- **Principal Investigator:** Guoping Feng
- **Activity code:** UG3 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $1,455,133
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-09-01 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10478105

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10478105, Developing cell type-specific enhancers and connectivity mapping pipelines for marmosets (5UG3MH126869-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10478105. Licensed CC0.

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