Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) awarded UC San Diego a $125,000 Project Grant under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859) for the period July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028. This award supports research investigating the biophysical mechanisms of bidirectional coupling between mechanotransduction and cell morphology. The project examines how cells respond and adapt to biochemical and physical environmental cues, with particular emphasis on nuclear translocation of mechanotransduction regulatory proteins such as yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) in response to substrate nanotopography and G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) activation.

During the K99 phase of the project, UC San Diego will deliver experimental research and computational modeling outputs quantifying cell and nuclear deformation responses. Research activities include immunofluorescence imaging studies of cytoskeletal activation and YAP/TAZ localization in human osteosarcoma cell lines (U2OS) exposed to nanopillar substrates with and without the GPCR agonist angiotensin II, biosensor-based fluorescence imaging of GPCR activation in live cells, and finite-element-based computational simulations integrating biochemical signaling dynamics with cell mechanics and membrane curvature data. Findings will advance understanding of how cells integrate physical and chemical environmental signals through intracellular signaling events.