Federal Grant Award Summary

Western Washington University received a $481,808 Project Grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859), awarded on May 22, 2026, with completion targeted for April 30, 2029. The award supports fundamental research investigating the regulation of CK1 (casein kinase 1) substrate specificity during DNA repair processes. CK1 enzymes are conserved serine/threonine kinases implicated in multiple cellular signaling pathways and frequently misregulated in cancer and other diseases. The research aims to elucidate how autophosphorylation of CK1—modifications the enzyme makes to itself—influences which substrates the kinase targets, potentially revealing a mechanism by which cellular conditions direct kinase activity to specific pathways.

The research deliverables include characterization of autophosphorylation site occupancy changes in response to DNA damage using fission yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe) models, biochemical analysis of kinase efficiency on known DNA repair substrates in vitro, and identification and validation of new substrates preferentially targeted by specific autophosphorylated forms of CK1. These outputs will advance understanding of CK1 regulation in DNA repair and provide a foundation for future therapeutic interventions targeting CK1 dysregulation in human disease.