Federal Grant Award Summary

Cornell University received a $2.61M Project Grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855), effective July 8, 2026 through June 30, 2030. The award supports basic biomedical research investigating the NOX-ATM (NADPH oxidase-ATM kinase) signaling pathway and its role in regulating host-microbe interactions, inflammatory cytokine production, and gut epithelial dynamics. Using Drosophila melanogaster as a model system, the research will characterize how microbial infection triggers stress responses independent of DNA damage, with particular focus on phosphorylation of histone H2A (GH2AV) as a marker of immune activation.

The project comprises three specific research aims: (1) determining which microbial characteristics induce ATM pathway activation in gut enterocytes and analyzing how cellular age influences this response; (2) analyzing ATM signaling's impact on inflammatory cytokine production, cell dynamics, and tissue repair using molecular and functional genetics approaches; and (3) investigating how ATM signaling decreases host susceptibility to infection. The research is conducted at Cornell University's Ithaca, New York campus and will generate novel insights into how host cells perceive and respond to microbial threats through stress-activated signaling, with potential implications for understanding infectious disease pathogenesis and developing therapeutic interventions.