Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center received a $348,600 Project Grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859) effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2030. This award supports fundamental biomedical research aimed at elucidating the molecular mechanisms governing Golgi apparatus ribbon structure and function in mammalian cells. The research employs biochemical, cell biological, and microscopy approaches to investigate how RNA-golgin assemblies function as a structural scaffold organizing the Golgi ribbon, a continuous network of interconnected Golgi stacks essential for protein and lipid processing in the secretory pathway.

The primary deliverables include identification and characterization of the dynamic organization of RNA-golgin complexes that maintain Golgi ribbon architecture, with implications for understanding disease mechanisms associated with Golgi fragmentation in metastatic cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and muscular dystrophies. The research outcomes will advance foundational knowledge of cellular organelle organization and establish the molecular basis for how RNA serves as a structural biopolymer in organizing critical cellular machinery.