Project Grant R15GM163296

Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Oakland University received a $565.8K Project Grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859), awarded March 1, 2026, with a completion date of February 28, 2029. The award funds fundamental research investigating transcription regulation and cellular recovery from stress, specifically examining how cells maintain chromatin structure and recover from prolonged starvation and chronic stress conditions. Using Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker's yeast) as a model organism, the research will elucidate the mechanisms by which cells preserve genomic integrity and chromatin organization during autophagy—the cellular process of degrading and recycling damaged proteins and organelles—when exposed to nutrient-limited conditions.

The research addresses a critical gap in understanding how cells balance the severe protein depletion that occurs during autophagy-mediated survival responses with the need to maintain chromatin-associated factors essential for genomic stability and recovery. The project focuses on ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes, including RSC (Remodels the Structure of Chromatin) and the FACT complex, which are conserved from yeast to humans. This foundational research contributes to the NIGMS mission of supporting basic biomedical science that advances understanding of biological processes and lays groundwork for future advances in diagnosing and treating diseases linked to autophagy dysfunction, including neurodegeneration, cardiovascular disease, and immune disorders.