Amy R. Strom
2024 Regional Award Finalist — Post-Doc
Current Position:
Postdoctoral Scholar
Institution:
Princeton University
Discipline:
Molecular & Cellular Biology
Recognized for:
Exploring the organization of biological “condensates” that physically compartmentalize target genes in the cell, influencing the expression of cancer-causing genes.
Areas of Research Interest and Expertise:
Nuclear Organization and Function, Biomolecular Condensation, Molecular Biology, Biophysics, Bioengineering
Previous Positions:
BS, University of Michigan (Advisor: Scott Barolo)
PhD, University of California, Berkeley (Advisor: Gary H. Karpen)
Postdoctoral Fellow, Princeton University (Advisor: Clifford P. Brangwynne)
Research Summary:
The cell nucleus is a crowded place that relies on strict organization to direct the activation of the appropriate genes in each cell. Amy Strom, PhD, has developed tools to interrogate and manipulate nuclear organization, exposing key differences between healthy and diseased cells. Strom’s techniques induce the formation of molecular compartments that do not mix– like oil droplets in water – called “condensates.” These inducible condensates can act to separate active from inactive genes, and physically reposition genes that have gotten out of order in cancer cells back to their appropriate location, creating a platform to develop more effective anti-cancer therapeutics.
“A scientific revolution is underway, uniting ideas across disciplines to address the pressing challenges of health, energy and the environment. This award is an honor and recognition of these efforts from myself and all interdisciplinary scientists.”
Key Publications:
- A.R. Strom*, Y. Kim*, H. Zhao, Y.-C. Chang, N. Orlovsky, A. Košmrlj, C. Storm, C.P. Brangwynne. Condensate-driven interfacial forces reposition DNA loci and probe chromatin viscoelasticity. Cell, 2024.
- A. Patil*, A.R. Strom*, J.A. Paulo, C.K. Collings, K.M. Ruff, M.K. Shinn, A. Sankar, K. Cervantes, T. Wauer, J.D. St Laurent, L.A. Becker, S.P. Gygi, R.V. Pappu, C.P. Brangwynne, C. Kadoch. A disordered region controls cBAF activity via condensation and partner recruitment. Cell, 2023.
- A.R. Strom, R.J. Biggs, E.J. Banigan, X. Wang, K. Chiu, C. Herman, J. Collado, F. Yue, J.C. Ritland Politz, L.J. Taie, D. Scalzo, A. Telling, M. Groudine, C.P. Brangwynne, J.F. Marko, A.D. Stephens. HP1a is a chromatin crosslinker that controls nuclear and mitotic chromosome mechanics. eLife, 2021.
- A.R. Strom, A.V. Emelyanov, M. Mir, D.V. Fyodorov, X. Darzacq, G.H. Karpen. Phase separation drives heterochromatin domain formation. Nature, 2017.
Other Honors:
2023 K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award, National Cancer Institute
2019 Life Science Research Foundation Fellowship, Mark Foundation for Cancer Research
2019 Larry Sandler Memorial Award runner up, Genetics Society of America
2016 Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor, UC Berkeley
2012 Phi Beta Kappa Academic Honors Society, University of Michigan
2012 B.S. awarded with Highest Honors, University of Michigan
In the Media:
Princeton University – Researchers bend DNA strands with light, revealing a new way to study the genome
HHMI – Finding Order in the Disorder: New insights into seemingly structureless regions of proteins
The Mark Foundation – The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research 2021 Fellowship Symposium
LBL BioSciences – Biosciences Participates at East Bay STEM Career Awareness day
Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News – Shaking Up Genome Regulation by Considering Oil/Water-like Interactions
UC Berkeley – The Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor (OGSI) awards
Websites: