This $373,168 Project Grant awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) supports collaborative research between the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Northeastern Illinois University to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying how the light-sensing phytochrome proteins in myxobacteria (soil bacteria) regulate their developmental processes, such as fruiting body formation, in response to light signals.
The research aims to use cutting-edge techniques like time-resolved X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy to capture molecular "movies" that reveal the structural changes in phytochromes upon light absorption and how this modulates their enzymatic activity and signaling. The project also includes workshops to train graduate and undergraduate researchers on these advanced biochemical imaging methods. The award period runs from July 2024 through June 2027.
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