Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) awarded $444,907 to The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York on May 12, 2026, under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859). This Project Grant (R35 mechanism) supports fundamental research aimed at discovering central principles governing cellular adaptation at the systems level. The research encompasses three primary projects: (1) investigating cellular adaptation through stochastic tuning of gene expression, focusing on how cells utilize transcriptional noise to explore novel gene-expression states and adapt to unprecedented challenges—with particular application to understanding non-mutational cancer chemotherapy resistance; (2) examining the genetic basis of microbial habitat adaptations through a computational framework for genotype-habitat association analysis; and (3) developing enabling technologies and computational methods that advance observation, perturbation, and analysis capabilities beyond existing methodological constraints.

The award will fund research activities through March 31, 2031, with performance conducted at Columbia University's Health Sciences Division in New York, NY. The research utilizes advanced experimental approaches including CRISPR-interference, large-scale reporter assays, and microfluidic-based single-cell perturbations to mechanistically determine critical protein and DNA effectors of cellular adaptation in model organisms. This award reflects NIGMS's strategic commitment to supporting investigator-initiated biomedical research that establishes foundational understanding of biological processes and provides the scientific basis for advances in disease treatment and prevention.