Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of Pennsylvania received a $924,095 Project Grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859), effective April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2031. This five-year award supports fundamental research investigating the molecular mechanisms controlling actin cytoskeleton dynamics, a critical area of basic biomedical science that underpins understanding of cellular structure and function.

The funded research addresses four major scientific objectives: (1) elucidating how the Arp2/3 (actin-related protein 2/3) complex is activated through nucleation-promoting factors and the roles of regulatory proteins like coronin-7 in modulating filament branching; (2) characterizing how filament-capping proteins, AIP1 (actin-interacting protein 1), and cofilin cooperatively regulate actin filament disassembly at barbed and pointed ends; (3) determining the structural and functional mechanisms by which Miro recruits molecular motors and effectors to mitochondria to regulate mitochondrial dynamics; and (4) developing next-generation photoswitches that enable optogenetic control of actin cytoskeletal components with enhanced specificity and efficacy. These research deliverables will advance fundamental knowledge of cytoskeletal protein mechanisms applicable to multiple disease areas and cellular processes.