Calcium signaling proteins and heart disease: mapping how ions shape structure and function
Official title: Profiling Function and Spectroscopy in Ion Binding and Calcium Signaling Structures
Funded at University of New Hampshire · NIH-11626552 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A research program will study how calcium-binding proteins in the heart change shape and behavior when ions bind, to understand a form of heart disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of New Hampshire NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | August 27, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $189,309 |
| NIH project number | 5P20GM113131-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11626552 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with or at risk for cardiomyopathy linked to calcium-signaling protein mutations, or researchers studying these mechanisms.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without cardiomyopathy or without interest in ion-binding mechanisms may not directly benefit from this foundational work.
What this research studies
This project will develop and calibrate infrared techniques to watch how ion binding changes the structure and movements of heart-related proteins like cardiac troponin C. It will use model systems with lanthanide tags and real-time spectroscopy, complemented by calorimetry and computer simulations, to connect tiny binding changes to bigger effects on protein dynamics. The work aims to reveal mechanisms behind cardiomyopathy that aren’t explained by static structures or binding strength alone. Results could lay the groundwork for future studies that probe how these molecular shifts contribute to heart disease. The effort is a collaboration at the University of New Hampshire led by Sean Edington to build datasets for mechanistic insight.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could illuminate how specific ion-induced changes in heart proteins contribute to cardiomyopathy, guiding future diagnostics or therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous similar approaches with ion-binding proteins and infrared methods have yielded meaningful mechanistic insights, supporting progression to this study.
Where this research is happening
-
University of New Hampshire
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Edington, Sean Stoddart Coleman — University of New Hampshire
- Study coordinator: Edington, Sean Stoddart Coleman
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.