Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of Notre Dame received a $632,000 Project Grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859), awarded August 1, 2026, with completion scheduled for July 31, 2031. This award supports fundamental research into cellular mechanisms that support production of a functional proteome, specifically investigating how the cellular environment affects protein folding mechanisms. The research employs experimental biophysics, molecular biology, and computational biology to address a critical knowledge gap regarding factors that determine whether proteins fold correctly or misfold—a distinction essential for understanding disease mechanisms.

The project builds on two decades of prior NIGMS funding and focuses on vectorial protein synthesis and translocation, leveraging novel experimental and computational approaches to study protein folding dynamics in complex cellular contexts rather than simplified laboratory conditions. The research team will investigate how the rate and sequence of protein appearance during synthesis and secretion influence folding outcomes, with particular emphasis on large and complex proteins prone to aggregation. The deliverables include continued development and refinement of research methodologies that have already achieved broad adoption within the scientific community, thereby advancing fundamental understanding of proteome production and potentially informing therapeutic interventions for misfolding-related diseases.