Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Weill Medical College of Cornell University received a $471,690 Project Grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859), effective May 1, 2026, with completion targeted for February 28, 2031. The award funds fundamental research into the discovery and mechanistic understanding of lipid scramblases—specialized protein channels that facilitate the translocation of polar lipids across cell membrane bilayers. This research addresses critical physiological processes including mitochondrial biogenesis, endoplasmic reticulum growth, protein glycosylation, and the exposure of phosphatidylserine at cell surfaces for blood clotting, cell clearance, and cell-cell fusion.

The research deliverables include identification of the molecular identity of scramblases in key biological processes where their activity has been implicated but not yet definitively assigned to specific proteins; characterization of molecular mechanisms by which these lipid channel proteins function; evaluation of their specific contributions to physiological processes; and determination of regulatory mechanisms controlling their activity. The project emphasizes two understudied research areas: phospholipid scramblases in the outer mitochondrial membrane and related glycosylation-associated scramblases, employing multidisciplinary methodologies to advance understanding of intracellular lipid transport and homeostasis at Weill Medical College's New York, New York location.