Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Cornell University's Office of Sponsored Programs received a $423,195 Project Grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859), effective March 1, 2026 through January 31, 2031. This award funds fundamental research investigating the origin and diversification of gene-by-environment (GxE) interactions—the molecular mechanisms through which environmental factors modulate genetic expression and influence organism phenotypes. The research employs butterflies as an insect model system to characterize how seasonal environmental cues are transduced to target tissues, with particular focus on steroid hormone signaling pathways that regulate seasonal color pattern phenotypes across geographic populations.

The primary deliverables from this research program include characterization of tissue- and stage-specific gene regulatory networks, identification of genes and regulatory elements contributing to regional phenotypic variation within and between closely related species, and elucidation of the developmental genetic mechanisms underlying GxE interactions. Through genetic mapping and manipulations conducted at the Ithaca, New York location, the research will advance fundamental understanding of how GxE mechanisms originate and diversify across species populations, providing foundational knowledge applicable to understanding phenotypic variation in response to environmental conditions across biological systems.