Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences awarded a collaborative research Project Grant of $498,768 to the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029, under the Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074). This award supports research developing artificial intelligence-driven computational methods to model large macromolecular systems—specifically protein assembly processes—at physiologically relevant time scales in cell-like environments. The project combines expertise in structure-based molecular modeling, reinforcement learning algorithms, and experimental protein aggregation studies to generate energy landscapes of macromolecular systems and apply these simulations to understand how crystallin proteins self-assemble into functional lens structures rather than forming amorphous aggregates.

The research deliverables include: (1) generation of accurate energy landscape models for target macromolecular systems; (2) development and implementation of an AI-based modeling protocol capable of simulating physiologically relevant processes; and (3) application of these methods to study emergent protein behavior. The project will advance biotechnology sector capabilities for exploiting biological systems to produce materials with industrial and medical applications, while providing graduate and undergraduate students with educational experience in applying artificial intelligence to molecular biology problems.