
NSF Org: |
IOS Division Of Integrative Organismal Systems |
Recipient: |
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Initial Amendment Date: | July 2, 2019 |
Latest Amendment Date: | July 14, 2021 |
Award Number: | 1930101 |
Award Instrument: | Continuing Grant |
Program Manager: |
Aruna Kilaru
IOS Division Of Integrative Organismal Systems BIO Directorate for Biological Sciences |
Start Date: | August 1, 2019 |
End Date: | January 31, 2023 (Estimated) |
Total Intended Award Amount: | $728,165.00 |
Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $728,165.00 |
Funds Obligated to Date: |
FY 2020 = $246,562.00 FY 2021 = $241,603.00 |
History of Investigator: |
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Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
1 BUNGTOWN RD COLD SPG HBR NY US 11724-2202 (516)367-8307 |
Sponsor Congressional District: |
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Primary Place of Performance: |
1 Bungtown Road Cold Spring Harbor NY US 11724-1009 |
Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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Parent UEI: |
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NSF Program(s): |
Cellular Dynamics and Function, Physiol Mechs & Biomechanics |
Primary Program Source: |
01002021DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT 01002122DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT |
Program Reference Code(s): |
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Program Element Code(s): |
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Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.074 |
ABSTRACT
Living organisms are made up of smaller units called cells, and these cells need to communicate with each other to coordinate how they grow and develop. Plants have evolved a way to communicate by making tiny channels to connect their cells. Many different types of molecules pass through these channels to feed growing tissues and to instruct the plant how to grow. This project aims to understand how the passage of signals through the channels is controlled, by studying a newly discovered factor that controls this process. It will also screen for new factors that influence the way in which the channels instruct the growth of special types of cells called stem cells that are essential for plant growth. These studies have the potential to make significant improvements to agricultural productivity, and to limit the spread of plant diseases, which sometimes use the channels to spread through the plant. In addition to the scientific and technological advances detailed above, this project will train young scientists at various levels, as well as developing resources to involve high school students in cutting edge biology research. The PI directs the Partners For the Future Program at CSHL, which immerses local high school students in active research at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. He will also develop an educational exchange with an all-female minority serving high school in Brooklyn, New York. This activity will expose the excitement and applications of molecular biology to students who otherwise have little exposure to scientific research.
Plasmodesmata are microscopic channels that connect plant cells to integrate growth, development and nutrient availability, providing organism wide connectivity. Plant development relies on pluripotent stem cells in specialized niches called meristems, and the movement, or "trafficking", of homeodomain transcription factors through plasmodesmata is required to maintain the stem cells. This research will develop and adapt state of the art methods in protein-RNA interactions, RNA localization and proteomic analyses to study a newly identified RNA binding protein that is required for trafficking of stem cell regulatory proteins. It will also test the hypothesis that the newly identified protein interacts in a protein-mRNA complex to facilitate passage of transcription factors through the plasmodesmata. In an independent approach, the research will also use a proteomic screen to identify new factors that control PD trafficking. Movement of protein and RNA signals in plants is critical for their development, as well as how plants respond to the environment. The results of this project could therefore allow the manipulation of plants to improve agricultural productivity. The project will also integrate training of junior scientists, including minority high school students, in molecular genetics research.
This award was co-funded by the Physiological Mechanisms and Biomechanics Program in the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems and the Cellular Dynamics and Function Cluster in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Living organisms are made up of building blocks called cells, and communication between cells is important for their physiology and growth. Plants have evolved a special form of cell-to-cell communication using molecular signals made up of protein and RNA molecules that are transported through tiny channels called plasmodesmata. These channels control how plants grow, metabolize and defend themselves against disease, but how they control passage of signals between cells is not well understood. The project used different approaches to understand how RNA messages important for plant growth are able to pass between cells. An experiment called a genetic screen was used to discover genes that are important for cell-to-cell trafficking. The Jackson lab identified and studied a new gene function using this approach. This gene makes a protein that binds to RNA, and controls how RNA messages are able to move between cells. This discovery helps in understanding how critical information passes between plant cells. The new knowledge may be useful in creating new varieties of agricultural plants that are more productive and sustainable.
As well as making new scientific discoveries, this project also trained junior scientists and helped educate high school students in modern biology research. The PI directs the Partners For the Future Program at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. This program immerses high school students in active research labs, and brought exposure to the excitement and applications of research to 36 high school seniors who otherwise have little opportunity for contact with cutting edge biological research.
Last Modified: 06/01/2023
Modified by: David P Jackson
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