Project Grant R35GM162580

FEDERAL GRANT AWARD SUMMARY

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Camden Division received a $423,734 Project Grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859), awarded on February 12, 2026, with a completion date of December 31, 2030. The award supports the development of in vivo genetic and molecular platforms to investigate the co-evolution of cell-signaling proteins, specifically examining how ligand and receptor proteins evolve together to preserve successful biological interactions. The research utilizes Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) as a model organism to study the co-evolution of Gurken (GRK), a TGF-alpha ligand, and the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) across different Drosophila species, with a particular focus on understanding how variations in GRK orthologs affect EGFR signaling and the role of specific protein domains in this interaction.

The project delivers robust, cost-effective in vivo experimental systems to validate protein co-evolution mechanisms that have previously relied on bioinformatics tools and limited in vitro systems such as yeast two-hybrid assays. By leveraging Drosophila oogenesis as a model system with clear phenotypic readouts in eggshell morphology and axis formation, the research will provide insights into how proteins adapt across evolutionary time while maintaining functional interactions—knowledge with potential applications to understanding disease mechanisms and speciation processes in more complex organisms.