“I am incredibly grateful that our research group has been awarded this grant. This is a wonderful recognition and acknowledgment of all the work that we have done so far. I am excited to start working on research that we are able to tackle thanks to this funding,” says Tineke, group leader at the Netherlands Cancer Institute.
Tineke's research group investigates the way cells activate genes, a crucial process in normal cell growth and function. This process ensures that genes get activated at the right time in the right cells. “We study why certain genes are active in one cell but not in another through the use of advanced microscopy that allows us to visualize individual molecules in living cells,” explains Tineke, who is affiliated with Oncode Institute as a group leader.
The grant will allow the research group to continue studying gene activation and deactivation. The researchers are currently exploring gene expression in yeast, single-celled organisms that are quick and easy to use in the lab. Tineke: “With this grant, we aim to expand our research and develop new techniques to understand this process at a molecular level. We are studying what happens when we disable certain factors that are critical in gene regulation, one at a time. We hope to apply this knowledge to understand gene regulation in human cells.”
Tineke has received several grants recognizing her work: In 2017, she was awarded the prestigious ERC Starting Grant, and in 2022, she received a Vidi grant from the Dutch Research Council (NWO).