Vinícius Contessoto

About

Vinícius Contessoto is an Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Rice University. His research focuses on developing models to explore chromatin dynamics and function, with an interest in understanding how the genome is organized across different organisms and how chromosomes change shapes during various stages of the cell cycle. Additionally, he investigates protein folding and engineering, aiming to develop methods to predict epitopes for immunization strategies and to predict mutations that can increase enzyme thermostability.

Research topics

• Computer Security
• Computer Science
• Biology
• Medicine
• Genetics
• Virology
• Evolutionary biology
• Immunology
• Computational biology

Selected publications

• 3D genomics across the tree of life reveals condensin II as a determinant of architecture type

  Science · 2021 · 297 citations

  We investigated genome folding across the eukaryotic tree of life. We find two types of three-dimensional (3D) genome architectures at the chromosome scale. Each type appears and disappears repeatedly during eukaryotic evolution. The type of genome architecture that an organism exhibits correlates with the absence of condensin II subunits. Moreover, condensin II depletion converts the architecture of the human genome to a state resembling that seen in organisms such as fungi or mosquitoes. In th…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Design and proof of concept for targeted phage-based COVID-19 vaccination strategies with a streamlined cold-free supply chain

  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 2021 · 65 citations

  Development of effective vaccines against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global imperative. Rapid immunization of the entire human population against a widespread, continually evolving, and highly pathogenic virus is an unprecedented challenge, and different vaccine approaches are being pursued. Engineered filamentous bacteriophage (phage) particles have unique potential in vaccine development due to their inherent immunogenicity, genetic plasticity, stability, cost-effectiveness for l…

  DOI

• Shaping the genome via lengthwise compaction, phase separation, and lamina adhesion

  Nucleic Acids Research · 2022-04-14 · 54 citations

  articleOpen access

  The link between genomic structure and biological function is yet to be consolidated, it is, however, clear that physical manipulation of the genome, driven by the activity of a variety of proteins, is a crucial step. To understand the consequences of the physical forces underlying genome organization, we build a coarse-grained polymer model of the genome, featuring three fundamentally distinct classes of interactions: lengthwise compaction, i.e., compaction of chromosomes along its contour, sel…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Three-dimensional genome architecture persists in a 52,000-year-old woolly mammoth skin sample

  Cell · 2024-07-01 · 31 citations

  articleOpen access

  Analyses of ancient DNA typically involve sequencing the surviving short oligonucleotides and aligning to genome assemblies from related, modern species. Here, we report that skin from a female woolly mammoth (†Mammuthus primigenius) that died 52,000 years ago retained its ancient genome architecture. We use PaleoHi-C to map chromatin contacts and assemble its genome, yielding 28 chromosome-length scaffolds. Chromosome territories, compartments, loops, Barr bodies, and inactive X chromosome (Xi)…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Interphase chromosomes of the Aedes aegypti mosquito are liquid crystalline and can sense mechanical cues

  Nature Communications · 2023-01-19 · 29 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  We use data-driven physical simulations to study the three-dimensional architecture of the Aedes aegypti genome. Hi-C maps exhibit both a broad diagonal and compartmentalization with telomeres and centromeres clustering together. Physical modeling reveals that these observations correspond to an ensemble of 3D chromosomal structures that are folded over and partially condensed. Clustering of the centromeres and telomeres near the nuclear lamina appears to be a necessary condition for the formati…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• José N. Onuchic

  Rice University

  169 shared

• E Aiden

  Broad Institute

  80 shared

• Michele Di Pierro

  Northeastern University

  78 shared

• Esteban Dodero‐Rojas

  77 shared

• Antonio B. Oliveira

  Rice University

  61 shared

• S.K. Burley

  Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

  47 shared

• Peter G. Wolynes

  Rice University

  44 shared

• Matheus F. Mello

  Rice University

  44 shared

Similar researchers at Rice University

• Frank Geurtsh-157
• Karl Ecklundh-142