Project Grant R01HD113790

This $995,880 federal Project Grant awarded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) under the Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research Program (CFDA 93.865) will support a multi-disciplinary research project investigating a novel molecular pathway that links protein N-glycosylation in the endoplasmic reticulum to Wnt signaling and regulation of human development. The project aims to delineate the components and mechanisms of this N-glycosylation pathway, understand its role in osteoblast differentiation and bone matrix production, and establish its relevance to human birth defect syndromes. Key activities will include genome-wide CRISPR screens, mass spectrometry, gene-editing in cell lines and primary patient cells, and mechanistic studies to explore how N-glycosylation modulates Wnt signaling. Successful completion of this 5-year research project is expected to define a new pathway regulating Wnt signaling and human development through N-glycosylation, with broader implications for understanding the signaling functions of this fundamental cellular process.