Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of Chicago received a $421,293 Project Grant award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859), effective July 15, 2026, with completion targeted for April 30, 2031. The Anderson Laboratory will conduct a synthetic modeling research program to advance understanding of oxidative reactivity in metalloenzymes—proteins that perform critical oxidation reactions in biological systems. This work directly supports NIGMS's mission to fund basic research that increases understanding of biological processes and provides the foundation for advances in disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.

The research deliverables involve designing and synthesizing molecular model compounds to systematically investigate secondary effects that influence oxidation rates and selectivity in bioinorganic systems. Specific technical platforms under development include transition metal oxo complexes with enhanced basicity, synthetic systems that generate large internal electric fields through positioned negative charges, and redox-active ligand scaffolds designed to study proton and electron transfer pathways. By elucidating emerging non-canonical effects—including stepwise proton-electron transfer driving forces, oriented electric fields, and choreographed transfer mechanisms—this work addresses documented gaps in current bioinorganic oxidation theory and aims to inform the controlled generation of oxidizing intermediates relevant to human health applications.