Project Grant 2237129

This National Science Foundation Project Grant of $510,011 was awarded to the University of Houston under the Biological Sciences federal grant program (CFDA 47.074) to support research on the oligomeric stoichiometry of superoxide dismutase 1 and its role in neuronal antioxidant defense. Specifically, the grantee will develop a quantitative single-molecule approach to quantify changes in superoxide dismutase 1 oligomerization in the cell nucleus, cytosol, and mitochondria under various environmental stressors. Mass spectrometry will also be used to quantify post-translational modifications to the protein. This work seeks to further the understanding of how neurons finely tune superoxide dismutase 1 interactions and distribution in response to oxidative stimuli, informing neuronal antioxidant defense. Additionally, the grant supports the establishment of a new educational program called Quantitative Biophysical Comprehension to teach students modern biophysical techniques for analyzing protein structure and function at the single molecule level.