Project Grant R01AA031669

The University of Pennsylvania received a $727,664 Project Grant award from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) under the Alcohol Research Programs (CFDA 93.273), effective May 1, 2026 through February 28, 2031. This award supports a multi-omics spatial analysis research project designed to advance understanding of alcohol use disorder (AUD) at the cellular level. The research delivers novel scientific insights by simultaneously quantifying the open-chromatin landscape and cytoplasmic transcriptome of single neurons, astrocytes, and microglia from ethanol-challenged mouse brain tissue. The project employs light-activated oligonucleotide probes to examine gene expression and chromatin accessibility in cells within their natural brain microenvironment, enabling researchers to identify genomic consequences of alcohol abuse in identified ethanol circuit-associated cells.

This research contributes to the NIAAA's broader mission to develop improved treatment methods and prevention strategies for alcoholism by establishing a fundamental knowledge base regarding biological and genetic factors underlying AUD. By examining how chronic ethanol exposure alters gene transcription and chromatin structure in key brain cell types, the project advances mechanistic understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms driving alcohol use disorder, potentially informing future therapeutic interventions targeting the cellular and molecular pathways disrupted by alcohol exposure.