Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of Missouri System received a $649,993 Project Grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program (CFDA 10.310), effective February 15, 2026 through February 14, 2029. The project aims to advance understanding of how plants coordinate the uptake and utilization of two essential nutrients—iron and sulfur—which work together to form iron-sulfur structures critical for energy production, photosynthesis, and seed development. Using rice as the model organism, the research will generate scientific knowledge regarding the molecular mechanisms of nutrient crosstalk through three primary objectives: characterizing the dynamics of iron-sulfur coordination in a tissue-specific manner, identifying novel transcriptional regulators that connect iron and sulfur nutrient networks, and mapping tissue- and cell-specific regulatory networks governing these interactions.

This research aligns with NIFA's priority in plant health and production by employing molecular, biochemical, and physiological approaches to understand fundamental plant traits including nutrient uptake, assimilation, and utilization. The findings are expected to contribute to improved crop productivity and food security, given that rice serves as a primary food source for more than half of the global population. The project will be conducted at the University of Missouri's Columbia campus.