# Defining Centriolar Plaque Architecture and Function Across Eukaryotic Diversity Using Expansion Microscopy and Proteomics

> **NIH GM R35** · INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS · 2026 · $396,250

## Abstract

This research proposal aims to decode the structural and molecular architecture of centriolar plaques (CPs), a
non-centrosomal microtubule organizing center, in the context of atypical eukaryotic cell division. Using
expansion microscopy (U-ExM), we will map CP composition and dynamics with high resolution investigating
their roles in MTOC formation, cell polarity, and organelle segregation during division.
Our approach integrates U-ExM with functional analyses, leveraging CRISPR-Cas9 technology to generate
inducible knockdown cell lines. This strategy will reveal the localizations and roles of key CP components,
including taxon-specific and conserved proteins, in supporting nuclear division and cellular organization.
By advancing our understanding of CP architecture and function, this work will provide transformative insights
into conserved and divergent principles of eukaryotic cell division, offering a comparative framework to explore
cellular diversity across eukaryotes.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11258119
- **Project number:** 1R35GM161216-01
- **Recipient organization:** INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS
- **Principal Investigator:** Sabrina  Absalon
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** GM
- **Fiscal year:** 2026
- **Award amount:** $396,250
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2026-03-01T00:00:00 → 2031-02-28T00:00:00

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11258119

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11258119, Defining Centriolar Plaque Architecture and Function Across Eukaryotic Diversity Using Expansion Microscopy and Proteomics (1R35GM161216-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-30 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11258119. Licensed CC0.

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