Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of Connecticut Health Center received a $457,875 Project Grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859), awarded February 13, 2026, with a completion date of January 31, 2031. This Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA) supports fundamental biomedical research investigating the mechanisms of translational response to cellular stress, specifically examining how organisms regulate protein synthesis errors to resist environmental and physiological stress conditions.

The research focuses on characterizing two families of translation factors—tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase (TrpRS) and aminoacyl-tRNA deacylase (CtdA)—to elucidate how translational fidelity is regulated in response to stress. The project examines unconventional TrpRS variants found in pathogenic organisms such as Salmonella enterica and Klebsiella pneumoniae that confer oxidative stress resistance, and investigates the role of CtdA in maintaining translational accuracy for arginine codons. Deliverables include scientific discoveries advancing the understanding of translational regulation mechanisms, peer-reviewed publications, and contributions to fundamental knowledge that may inform future therapeutic and diagnostic approaches in microbiology and cellular biology.