The National Science Foundation Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences awarded William Marsh Rice University a $1,191,793 Project Grant under the Biological Sciences federal grant program (CFDA 47.074) for the period of January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2025.
The grant funds research into the signaling logic underlying mammalian germ layer differentiation. Specifically, Rice University researchers will work to increase scientific understanding of the major biological processes governing how an embryo forms three primary layers of cells - the endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm - from which all bodily tissues and organs develop. Results from this research may enhance knowledge of developmental biology and mechanisms of cell differentiation, an area the Biological Sciences program seeks to advance.