# Novel approaches to map DNA replication traffic in a genome-wide scale

> **NIH NIH R21** · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · 2020 · $205,308

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The overarching goal of the project is to establish novel genomics and bioinformatics approaches to model
patterns of DNA replication in cells. It is known that the patterns of DNA replication are intimately linked to the
cell type. These differences between cell types are relevant to the integrity of the genome during cell type
transitions. For example, we recently found that damage during DNA replication is increased during the induced
transition from one cell type to another. However, there is a lack of methodology to observe replication patterns
in human cells. DNA replication differs between different cell types in the location of initiation, the direction of
fork progression, and the timing of initiation and completion. There is currently no method that can
comprehensively map the progression of DNA replication to the genome. Because of the importance of DNA
replication in cell proliferation, there is need for the development of such methods. To be able to examine the
progression of DNA polymerases in human cells, we will develop a novel methodology to map DNA replication
genome-wide, by incorporating nucleotide analogs during DNA replication, and sequencing the resulting DNA
molecules by Nanopore sequencing and recording the electrical signals. In parallel, we will develop novel
bioinformatics approaches to reliably examine the electrical signals and identify bases or regions of DNA
replication, for comparison between different cell types, or between healthy and diseased tissues. Successful
establishment of this technology will greatly increase our knowledge of replication, genetic stability and cell
proliferation, and allow the community to characterize differences in the progression of DNA replication between
cell types.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9923689
- **Project number:** 5R21HG010165-02
- **Recipient organization:** COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** Dieter Meinrad Egli
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $205,308
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-05-01 → 2022-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9923689

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9923689, Novel approaches to map DNA replication traffic in a genome-wide scale (5R21HG010165-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9923689. Licensed CC0.

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