The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) awarded a $509,982 Project Grant (CFDA 93.859 - Biomedical Research and Research Training) to the University of Maryland, College Park to research the fundamental mechanisms governing cell-cell communication during animal development. The research aims to unravel the precise signaling pathways and regulatory processes that control the formation of complex tissue patterns, including the role of specialized signaling filopodia known as cytonemes. This 5-year research project will provide new insights into how signaling proteins like fibroblast growth factor are trafficked, displayed, and released through cytoneme contact sites to shape the spatial organization and timing of intercellular communication during development. The findings are expected to have broad implications for both developmental biology and disease research, and may offer a framework for future tissue engineering applications.
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