How cells keep organelles the right size using shared building blocks
Official title: Design Principles of Size-Control of Organelles Growing in a Shared Pool of their Building Blocks
Funded at Rochester Institute of Technology · NIH-11380877 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are studying how cells control the size of their parts (organelles) when they share building blocks, using math models and computer simulations to guide future experiments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rochester Institute of Technology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project start | August 10, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $355,144 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM147556-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11380877 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This basic science project does not specify patient participants; however, insights into organelle regulation could be relevant to conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and ALS in the long term.
✕Less likely to help
Direct participation by patients is not described, and this grant does not involve clinical trials or patient recruitment.
What this research studies
This project uses mathematical modeling and simulations to understand how organelles grow and maintain their size when they draw from a common pool of building blocks. The goal is to identify the key factors that act as knobs to tune organelle size, which could lead to more precise laboratory experiments. By linking quantitative predictions with experimental tests, the work aims to reveal general principles of cellular organization that are relevant to human diseases. The research builds on prior findings about size control and tests new ideas to see how competing structures influence each other within a cell.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could improve our understanding of cellular organization and potentially inform strategies related to neurodegenerative diseases where organelle function is important.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work showed that negative feedback and building-block pools influence organelle size, and the refined models have guided experimental tests with some successful predictions.
Where this research is happening
-
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mohapatra, Lishibanya — Rochester Institute of Technology
- Study coordinator: Mohapatra, Lishibanya
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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.