Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) awarded a Project Grant totaling $765,914 to Weill Medical College of Cornell University, with an award date of July 1, 2026, and completion date of June 30, 2031, under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859). This award funds fundamental research investigating the molecular mechanisms of gating and lipid modulation in two families of voltage-gated ion channels: large conductance calcium-activated potassium (BK) channels and cyclic nucleotide-modulated (CNM) channels. The research builds on prior NIGMS-funded investigations (GM088352 and GM124451) and aims to elucidate how structural features enable inactivation processes and lipid-dependent modulation in these channels, utilizing both prokaryotic channel homologs and mammalian systems.

The project delivers scientific discoveries through structural and functional characterization of ion channel gating mechanisms with potential therapeutic applications, given that CNM channels represent established drug targets. The research encompasses determination of structural correlates of ball-and-chain inactivation in BK channels, investigation of lipid modulation effects, and continued mechanistic analysis of ligand selectivity and channel activation. As a core NIGMS-supported investigator-initiated research grant, this award contributes to the Institute's mission of advancing fundamental understanding of biological processes that underpin advances in disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.