Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) awarded the University of Maryland, College Park $369,075 under the Cancer Biology Research program (CFDA 93.396) to develop computational methods for reconstructing transposable element activity in cancer genomes. The project, which commenced June 1, 2026 and concludes May 31, 2028, leverages local assembly techniques combined with long-read sequencing technologies to identify and characterize somatic transposition events—insertions resulting from transposable elements jumping or copying themselves within tumor genomes. This methodological advancement addresses a critical gap in cancer genomics research, as conventional short-read sequencing cannot comprehensively reconstruct these complex structural changes that occur in approximately 35% of analyzed tumors.

The research will generate integrated computational tools and analytical approaches to reconstruct the landscape and historical progression of somatic transposon activity across multiple cancer types, including head-and-neck and lung cancers. By accounting for the increased complexity of tumor genomes—including structural rearrangements, copy number variations, intratumor heterogeneity, and aneuploidy—the deliverables will provide fundamental insights into cancer progression mechanisms and identify potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets. The methodologies developed through this Cancer Biology Research initiative represent a translational contribution to advancing cancer prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment approaches.