Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Virginia Commonwealth University received a $426,938 Project Grant award from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) under the Environmental Health program (CFDA 93.113) effective July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028. The award supports research to advance mechanistic understanding of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) interactions with human lipid transport proteins (LTPs). The research will generate three primary deliverables: (1) validated fluorescent and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based binding assays to screen five representative LTPs against exposure-relevant PFAS; (2) quantitative binding affinity data and structure-activity relationships across LTPs and PFAS subclasses to identify chemical and physical features promoting LTP-PFAS interactions; and (3) high-resolution molecular structures obtained through X-ray crystallography and protein NMR spectroscopy to characterize specific protein-PFAS binding interactions.

The project directly addresses a significant knowledge gap regarding PFAS biodistribution mechanisms in human tissues and cells. Deliverables include broadly applicable analytical tools, quantitative affinity datasets, and structural insights that will support predictive modeling of PFAS-protein interactions and inform future environmental health research and policy. This research aligns with NIEHS's mission to understand how environmental exposures affect biological systems and to reduce disease burden through mechanistic and translational science.