Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of California, Merced received a $400,910 Project Grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859) to conduct computational modeling research on RNA Polymerase II (Pol II) elongation complexes. The award, effective June 1, 2026, through March 31, 2031, supports fundamental research using molecular dynamics simulations and advanced computational techniques to elucidate the dynamics and regulatory mechanisms of transcription elongation in eukaryotes. The project will investigate the molecular roles of elongation factors in facilitating transcription processivity, their involvement in gene-specific transcription and neurodegenerative disease pathways, and the impacts of human disease mutations on elongation complex conformation and dynamics.

The research deliverables will be generated through integrated computational and experimental approaches, including molecular dynamics simulations, enhanced simulation methods, machine learning algorithms, and kinetic network models. These analyses are designed to bridge the gap between structural knowledge of elongation complexes and mechanistic understanding of how these protein assemblies form and regulate the transcription elongation process, ultimately advancing fundamental knowledge of a vital cellular process critical to human biology and disease prevention.