IU Northwest researcher receives $400K to study gene mutations
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The National Institutes of Health recently awarded Indiana University Northwest more than $400,000 to study gene mutations.
The grant comes from NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute Of Child Health & Human Development and will support the research of principal investigator Ming Gao, an associate professor of biology.
Gao will use the grant to study the role of a protein called me31B plays in germ cell development. Research of this protein could lead to better understanding of animal development and reproduction, the university said.
“In humans, mutations in this protein can cause intellectual disabilities, anomalies in reproduction system organs and many other developmental delays and defects,” Gao said in an IU Northwest news release. “Knowledge gained from this research will provide a better understanding of how these family proteins contribute to human growth and shed light on potential treatments for human disorders related to this gene mutation.”
The grant will also fund student travel to conferences, presentation of research findings and publication in scientific journals.