This National Science Foundation (NSF) Biological Sciences (CFDA 47.074) Project Grant award of $999,996.00 to the University of South Alabama (USA) aims to generate fundamental knowledge crucial for building artificial mitochondria as part of synthetic biology research. The 4-year project (8/1/2024 - 7/31/2028) will identify the key factors required for human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) replication and the mechanisms governing its species-specificity. This work will establish new tools and provide mechanistic insights to advance the capability of reconstituting mtDNA replication, a critical step toward generating artificial mitochondria for applications in biotechnology, healthcare, and basic research. The project builds on USA's prior development of the GENESWAP approach for in situ analysis of mtDNA replication proteins and their species-specificity. No sub-awards are planned under this grant.
Generated 1/28/25, 9:12 AM