Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Duke University's Office of Research Administration received a $637,471 Project Grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) under the Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.847), effective April 1, 2026 through January 31, 2030. The research project investigates the physiological mechanisms by which the gastrointestinal tract senses the essential amino acid lysine and communicates this information to the brain to regulate food intake and dietary-seeking behavior.

The funded research delivers basic biomedical science outputs focused on elucidating intestinal signal transduction pathways for lysine detection and evaluating the role of specialized gut epithelial cells called neuropod cells in driving lysine-seeking behavior during dietary lysine deficiency. The project's findings are intended to advance understanding of how amino acid sensing influences overall eating behavior and obesity mechanisms, with potential applications in developing dietary interventions based on protein leverage principles. Research will be conducted at Duke University's Durham, North Carolina facilities, contributing to NIDDK's broader mission to support fundamental and clinical research that improves understanding of disease mechanisms underlying metabolic and digestive disorders.