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The biophysics of skin-neuron sensory tactile organs and their sensitivity to mechanical and chemical stress

Award Number: R35NS105092
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

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The biophysics of skin-neuron sensory tactile organs and their sensitivity to mechanical and chemical stress - Skin, muscle, joints, and internal organs encapsulate specialized sensory neurons that detect mechanical cues in the form of touch and movement. The ability to perform most, if not all of the essential activities of daily living depends on information from these somatosensory, proprioceptive, and visceral sensory neurons. Thus, a better understanding of their function and sensitivity to mechanical and chemical stress is of vital importance for health. This research program focuses on the skin-neuron composite tissues responsible for touch and seeks to decipher how mechanical force is translated from the skin surface to embedded sensory neurons and converted into electrical signals that give rise to tactile perceptions. The work combines genetic dissection in a simple invertebrate (C. elegans nematodes) with electron microscopy, high-performance tools (self-sensing cantilevers) for delivering mechanical stimuli under feedback control and for optically monitoring tissue deformation and neuronal activation with electrophysiology and calcium imaging. The research team includes biologists, engineers and physicists and integrates experimental work with theory and simulation. In addition to seeking a comprehensive understanding of mechanosensation by skin-neuron composites, the research program will also address the outstanding question of how neurons bend without breaking. Based on preliminary work, we also plan to leverage our knowledge of touch sensation and its molecular basis to investigate how chemical stressors linked to diabetes (glucose) and chemotherapy (paclitaxel) affect the function and morphology of skin-neuron composites. The knowledge we seek to acquire is relevant to all animals, including humans that rely on skin-neuron composites for touch sensation.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $959,092 )
2025	2025	THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY	450 JANE STANFORD WAY	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	001	8	12/4/2024	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$130,306
2025	2025	THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY	450 JANE STANFORD WAY	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	8	12/3/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$828,786
														Subtotal = $959,092

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $951,823 )
2024	2024	THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY	450 JANE STANFORD WAY	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	002	7	7/22/2024	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$54,295
2024	2024	THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY	450 JANE STANFORD WAY	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	7	12/6/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$832,760
2024	2024	THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY	450 JANE STANFORD WAY	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	001	7	4/12/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$64,768
														Subtotal = $951,823

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $926,616 )
2023	2023	LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY, THE	450 JANE STANFORD WAY	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	001	6	1/5/2023	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$229,818
2023	2023	LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY, THE	450 JANE STANFORD WAY	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	6	1/4/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$696,798
2023	2023	THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY	450 JANE STANFORD WAY	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	003	6	4/25/2023	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$0
2023	2023	THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY	450 JANE STANFORD WAY	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	002	6	4/24/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $926,616

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $696,798 )
2022	2022	LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY, THE	450 JANE STANFORD WAY	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	001	5	3/24/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$69,682
2022	2022	LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY, THE	450 JANE STANFORD WAY	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	5	12/3/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$627,116
														Subtotal = $696,798

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $696,798 )
2021	2021	LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY, THE	450 JANE STANFORD WAY	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	001	4	1/26/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$69,683
2021	2021	LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY, THE	450 JANE STANFORD WAY	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	4	12/18/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$627,115
														Subtotal = $696,798

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $867,845 )
2020	2020	LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY, THE	450 JANE STANFORD WAY	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	001	3	2/10/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$69,682
2020	2020	LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY, THE	450 JANE STANFORD WAY	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	3	11/27/2019	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$627,116
2020	2020	LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY, THE	450 JANE STANFORD WAY	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	002	3	9/23/2020	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$171,047
														Subtotal = $867,845

Issue Date FY: 2019 ( Subtotal = $853,798 )
2019	2019	LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY, THE	450 SERRA MALL	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	001	2	9/24/2019	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$157,000
2019	2019	LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY, THE	450 SERRA MALL	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	2	11/23/2018	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$696,798
														Subtotal = $853,798

Issue Date FY: 2018 ( Subtotal = $448,300 )
2018	2018	LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY, THE	450 SERRA MALL	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	1	12/15/2017	NEW	$448,300
														Subtotal = $448,300

Grand Total All Awards = $6,401,070

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The biophysics of skin-neuron sensory tactile organs and their sensitivity to mechanical and chemical stress

Award Number: R35NS105092

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

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