Project Grant 2209298

This National Science Foundation Project Grant award of $138,000 provides funding from August 1, 2022 to July 31, 2024 to support an NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology. The fellowship will fund research and training under the Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) to define the biochemical mechanisms of microtubule shrinking and nucleation through innovative experiments and simulations.

The fellow will combine wet lab experiments with computational simulations to determine how new microtubules form and how existing microtubules shrink, two behaviors critical for microtubule function in cells. This will advance understanding of how microtubule assembly dynamics at the nanometer scale determine behavior at the micrometer scale. Outcomes will elucidate how microtubule behavior varies across cell types, species and taxa. The award also supports development of a local middle school outreach program involving microscopy lessons.