Award
National Institute of General Medical Sciences 5R35GM131689-08
Regulation of autophagy during animal development
Recipient
University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester
Award Amount
$684,810.00
Ceiling
$684,810.00
Awarded
February 09, 2026
Identifier
5R35GM131689-08
This NIH-funded project studies the regulation of autophagy during animal development, focusing on selective clearance of mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum in Drosophila midgut cells. The research aims to uncover genes and mechanisms controlling autophagy, with implications for human disease therapies.
Description
The project investigates novel mechanisms that control cell context-specific regulation of autophagy during animal development, including cargo-specific autophagy pathways. The research focuses on understanding how specific organelle cargoes such as mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum are distinguished and selected for autophagy within developing animal tissues, particularly in the Drosophila midgut. The study aims to identify genes and mechanisms regulating mitochondrial and ER autophagy, and how these processes may differ within a single cell during development. Insights gained are expected to inform understanding of autophagy regulation in humans and potential therapeutic strategies.