Jennifer Ottesen

Jennifer Ottesen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at The Ohio State University. She holds affiliations with the Ohio State Biochemistry Program (OSBP), Biophysics Program, and the Chemistry & Biology Interface Training Program (CBIP). Her research integrates protein engineering with biological function, focusing on chromatin structure and histone post-translational modifications. Ottesen received her B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Chicago, a Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry from Caltech/MIT (2001), and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at The Rockefeller University. Notable awards include the NSF CAREER Award (2009) and the Dean’s Award for Undergraduate Research Mentoring (2008).

Research interests center on understanding histone modifications' roles in chromatin dynamics using synthetic protein chemistry. Key topics include histone acetylation, phosphorylation, and their effects on nucleosome stability, DNA accessibility, and epigenetic regulation. Her lab develops novel chemical tools for histone synthesis and modification, enabling studies of chromatin function in mitosis and epigenetic signaling.

Ottesen’s work spans collaborations with institutions like the National Institutes of Health and leverages interdisciplinary approaches. Her lab actively mentors students through graduate programs (OSBP, Biophysics) and undergraduate training. Current projects explore nucleosome unwrapping kinetics, histone variant interactions, and chromatin remodeling complexes. Future directions aim to advance synthetic biology applications in epigenetic research.