Federal Project Grant Summary

The Ohio State University received a $403,373 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 May 31, 2031. The award supports fundamental research into the molecular mechanisms of circadian gene regulation, specifically investigating how a single 24-hour circadian oscillator generates multiphasic gene expression patterns across diverse organisms. The research employs the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus as a model system to elucidate how timing information flows from the core KaiABC protein oscillator to the master transcription factor RpoA through intermediate proteins SasA and CikA, utilizing high-throughput in vitro biochemical assays integrated with genetic tools.

The deliverables include systematic characterization of the phosphorylation patterns of RpoA and investigation of the sigma factor regulatory cascades that propagate circadian rhythmicity to drive the observed multiphasic gene expression observed across the cyanobacterial genome. This basic research addresses fundamental questions about how biological clocks coordinate physiology and gene expression, with implications for understanding circadian disruptions associated with cellular malfunction and disease in organisms ranging from bacteria to mammals.