Federal Grant Award Summary

Kean University's Office of Research and Sponsored Programs received a $488,117 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 July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029. The award supports basic biomedical research aimed at identifying and characterizing novel and classical neuropeptides and their receptors in the European nightcrawler (Dendrobaena veneta). The research employs long-read RNA-sequencing technology to produce high-fidelity transcriptomes of earthworm tissues enriched in signaling peptides and receptors, utilizing standard annotation tools and custom search algorithms developed by undergraduate students. This work addresses a significant gap in cell and molecular research on earthworms and leverages recent evidence suggesting unique genomic rearrangements in this organism that may yield previously uncharacterized modifications to neuropeptide signaling genes.

The project's primary deliverables include comprehensive neuropeptide identification and annotation in earthworm transcriptomes, characterization of physiological effects of earthworm neuropeptides, and undergraduate student training in bioinformatics and custom algorithm development. As a minority-serving and Hispanic-serving institution, Kean University's research integrates educational workforce development with fundamental life sciences research, aligning with NIDDK's mission to advance understanding of disease mechanisms through extramural biomedical research.