Catalyst Projects provide support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities to work towards establishing research capacity of faculty to strengthen science, technology, engineering and mathematics undergraduate education and research. It is expected that the award will further the faculty member's research capability, improve research and teaching at the institution, and involve undergraduate students in research experiences. This project at Virginia Union University will investigate the relationship between acid-base transporters and voltage-gated ion pumps in hippocampal cell activation. Moreover, the project will expand the research capacity of the institution by providing research opportunities for minority undergraduate students and preparing them for graduate school or direct entry into the STEM work force.
The goal of this study is to understand the regulation of proteins in neurons and astrocytes of the hippocampus, the area in the brain involved in learning and memory. Western blot will be used to examine and quantify the expression of select proteins previously identified in the hippocampus involved in the generation of electrical excitability (Nav1.1, Kv1.1, Cav2.1, Na/K ATPase, and KATP) and acid-base regulation (SLC9 and SLC4). Additionally, the expression profiles of the co-localization of these proteins in primary cultured hippocampal cultures will be defined under various concentrations of CO2, N2 and chronic hypoxia. Data obtained from this study will potentially extend the knowledge related to neuronal protein expression during hypoxic stress during both physiologic and pathophysiologic conditions.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
