This National Science Foundation (NSF) Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) Project Grant award to Duke University, totaling $308,541, will support research to elucidate the fundamental mechanisms of cell division, known as cytokinesis, and its coordination with organelle division in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The project aims to identify the ancestral, actomyosin-independent mechanisms of cleavage furrow ingression, as well as the role of the actin cytoskeleton in spatiotemporal coordination between cytokinesis and chloroplast division. This research will provide insights into the evolution of diverse eukaryotic cell division processes and the establishment of endosymbiosis between early eukaryotic cells and cyanobacteria. The grant, which runs from April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2029, will also provide research opportunities for high school students and teachers, and educate undergraduate and graduate students about the use of emerging model organisms in biological research.
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