Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of Michigan received a $390,504 Project Grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) under the Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.865), effective June 1, 2026 through February 28, 2031. This award funds research to advance understanding of human primordial germ cell (hPGC) differentiation from human pluripotent stem cells, with applications toward in vitro gametogenesis and potential infertility treatments. The research employs a systems-level approach using single-cell tracking of signaling and fate markers combined with highly multiplexed immunofluorescence to characterize the signaling dynamics and gene regulatory networks controlling hPGC-like cell induction, maintenance, and maturation.

The project addresses current limitations in directed differentiation protocols that produce heterogeneous cell mixtures by identifying what distinguishes mature hPGC-like cells from less mature cells and other cell types. Through two specific aims, the research will determine combinatorial signaling dynamics responsible for hPGC-like cell induction and elucidate distinct phases of induction and maintenance. The deliverables include quantitative characterization of cell signaling requirements with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution and a comprehensive understanding of the signaling logic and gene regulatory network controlling hPGC-like cell differentiation, with potential to improve therapeutic applications in reproductive medicine.