Project Grant 2232049

The National Science Foundation awarded a $150,000 Project Grant to the University of California, San Diego under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) to develop a unifying theoretical framework for membrane fusion processes in biology. The two-year project beginning August 1, 2022 aims to identify common physical principles that govern diverse fusion events such as viral invasion, neuron communication, fertilization, muscle formation, and intracellular trafficking. The grantee will apply techniques from nonequilibrium statistical mechanics to capture these principles and generate testable predictions. In addition to advancing the interdisciplinary field of biological physics, the award supports education and outreach activities to engage students from various backgrounds in quantitative research and recruit young scientists to the field. As a joint award between the Molecular Biophysics and Physics of Living Systems clusters, it reflects NSF's mission to strengthen the nation's scientific enterprise through increased fundamental knowledge and enhanced understanding of major problems.