Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of Missouri System received a $425,974 Project Grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859), awarded March 1, 2026, with completion targeted for December 31, 2030. This research initiative focuses on identifying and characterizing biosynthetic enzymes and metabolic pathways involved in plant-derived steroidal compound production, specifically cardenolides and bufadienolides. The project will leverage the institution's expertise in comparative metabolomics, genomics, and transcriptomics to accelerate the discovery of candidate genes responsible for converting simple sterols into high-value specialized steroids used in treating congenital heart conditions, cancers, and other chronic diseases.

The primary deliverables include the elucidation of complex steroidal biosynthetic pathways from diverse plant species and the development of a sustainable bioproduction platform to increase access to bioactive steroids for medicinal applications. By analyzing plant species with overlapping and divergent steroidal metabolite profiles, the research aims to rapidly filter candidate genes and reduce knowledge gaps that have historically hindered metabolic engineering approaches to steroidal compound production at scale. This fundamental research supports NIGMS's mission to advance understanding of biological processes and lay the foundation for advances in disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.