Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Duke University's Office of Research Administration received a $118,494 Project Grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859), effective September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2028. The award funds investigator-initiated research to reveal the molecular basis underlying basement membrane (BM) elasticity in tissues such as the lung and vasculature that undergo repeated cycles of mechanical expansion and recoil. The research addresses a critical gap in understanding how basement membranes maintain elasticity and resist cyclic fatigue—a process where accumulated mechanical damage disrupts tissue function and contributes to age-related pathologies including emphysema and aneurysm.

The primary research product will be new scientific knowledge regarding the mechanisms by which basement membranes sustain elasticity during repeated mechanical loading cycles. Using C. elegans ovulation as an experimental model system, the research will examine how the matrix crosslinker fibulin-1 reinforces the basement membrane and interconnects with collagen IV to protect against mechanical damage. Specifically, the research investigates an on-demand protein delivery mechanism activated during peak mechanical loading frequencies. These findings are intended to inform future treatment strategies to counter or delay cyclic fatigue-induced basement membrane decline during aging and disease.