The Institute for Biomolecular Targeting

Dartmouth College, Hanover NH

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The Institute for Biomolecular Targeting Overall Grant Abstract: The Dartmouth Institute for Biomolecular Targeting (bioMT) infuses mechanistic investigations with a sophisticated awareness of disease pathology and therapeutic need, enhancing the quality of even the most fundamental research. At the same time, it helps orient mechanistic investigations towards long-term translational goals for complex diseases. In phase I, our progress was strong. All six of our research project leaders (RPL) with more than two years’ support have received R01-equivalent funding. Our cores provide unique protein biochemistry resources and ‘navigators’ to access microscopes campus-wide. Our cores and seminars have created a vibrant and interdisciplinary scientific community. Here, we propose to deploy phase II COBRE and institutional program enrichment funds to build on this foundation and fill key gaps to prepare bioMT for the transition to support independent of COBRE resources. Aim 1 is to increase our team of funded bioMT investigators to fill strategic roles in our research portfolio. Our two most recent RPLs (3–15 months’ support) are continuing into phase II, joined by two outstanding new hires. Their projects explore basic signaling and immunological mechanisms with potential relevance to therapeutic targets, interconnected by shared scientific and technical interests. All receive professional skills development from dedicated mentoring teams to help them achieve independent extramural funding, and all receive technical support from scientific cores offering state-of-the- art technologies directly relevant to their bioMT research projects. With institutional support, we will also hire five new faculty members working in the areas of discovering and exploiting molecular targets, and selected to create disease-relevant research areas of critical mass. As starting RPLs graduate, we will recruit new hires for EAC consideration as replacements. Aim 2 is to enhance our core facilities and prepare them for a transition to COBRE independence during phase III. The cores are fully staffed and have invested heavily in phase I instrumentation. We will add key new technologies based on user input, including parallel protein expression, mass spectrometry, advanced microscopy, and cryoEM. Cost-recovery models will be developed for incremental deployment in phase III to enable core financial independence. Aim 3 continues enriching our scientific exchange, including mini-symposia and pilot awards to foster new multi-PI and program-project applications, which will contribute to core utilization. Overall, these aims will leverage proven COBRE strategies – junior faculty hiring based on scientific excellence, academic mentoring, excellent administrative and scientific core support, and interdisciplinary research forums – to enhance bioMT’s scientific impact in targeted areas of therapeutic impact. This will prepare us for the transition to phase III funding and ultimate independence as an interdisciplinary and nationally visible research institute, spanning three schools and 10 departments at Dartmouth and deeply connected to local centers and regional IDeA partners.