Federal Grant Award Summary

The Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research Inc. received a $180,000 Project Grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program (CFDA 10.310), awarded May 1, 2026, with a completion date of April 30, 2029. This three-year research project addresses fundamental challenges in sustainable agriculture by investigating the molecular mechanisms that enable arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis—a plant-fungal relationship that enhances nutrient uptake in approximately 72% of flowering plants, including most major crop species. The research specifically focuses on understanding how kinase CS (KinCS) proteins facilitate fungal accommodation within plant root cells, examining their functional similarities to known symbiosis regulators, identifying associated protein interactions, and characterizing downstream molecular pathways that enable nutrient exchange between fungi and plants.

The deliverables from this project will contribute to reducing agricultural dependence on synthetic phosphate fertilizers by elucidating the biological mechanisms that naturally enhance crop nutrient acquisition. By clarifying the molecular basis of AM fungal accommodation, this research addresses a critical agricultural productivity constraint while reducing reliance on finite phosphate rock resources and mitigating environmental impacts from fertilizer runoff. The findings will support AFRI's overarching mission of improving food production and developing sustainable agricultural practices to meet global food security demands as the population approaches 9 billion by 2050.