Federal Grant Award Summary

Loyola University of Chicago received a $545,625 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 July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029. The award funds basic research to elucidate the molecular and developmental mechanisms of phosducin-like protein 3 (PHLP3) function during spermatogenesis. The research addresses male infertility, which accounts for approximately one-third of infertility cases among couples in the United States, by investigating how PHLP3 regulates cytoskeletal remodeling processes critical to sperm production and maturation.

The research deliverables include characterization of PHLP3's biochemical function and identification of conserved cysteine residues essential for its redox activity, determination of the protein's molecular role in regulating microtubules and actin filaments during spermatid development, and mechanistic insights into how PHLP3 facilitates nuclear elongation and sperm individualization. The multi-faceted research approach employs Drosophila as a model organism to advance understanding of genetic mechanisms controlling sperm production, with findings expected to inform therapeutic approaches to male factor infertility.