# Molecular mechanisms of intra- and inter-cellular fatty acid trafficking

> **NIH NIH R35** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2022 · $116,694

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
The biological hallmarks of aging have outlined multiple cellular and molecular processes that
contribute to aging. The hallmarks of aging include genomic instability; telomere attrition;
epigenetic alterations; loss of proteostasis; deregulated nutrient sensing; mitochondrial
dysfunction; cellular senescence; stem cell exhaustion; and altered intercellular communication.
These processes have been studied primarily in isolation from each other. However, many of
these processes span multiple cellular organelles or occur at the intersection between
organelles. We will use multispectral imaging to systematically investigate the morphology and
dynamics of six organelles simultaneously in live cells, as a method for imaging organelle
communication in relation to the hallmarks of aging. The organelles we will image include
endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi, lysosomes, mitochondria, peroxisomes, and lipid droplets. In aim
1, we will quantify organelle number, size, shape, speed, contacts with other organelles, and
distribution (the “organelle signature”), in multiple cell types at baseline. In aim 2, we will test
how organelle morphodynamics change during replicative aging. Together, these studies will
identify novel forms of organelle communication impacting the hallmarks of aging.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10587303
- **Project number:** 3R35GM133460-04S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Sarah Cohen
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $116,694
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2019-08-01 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10587303

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10587303, Molecular mechanisms of intra- and inter-cellular fatty acid trafficking (3R35GM133460-04S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10587303. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*