NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – The National Institute on Aging plans to spend $1.5 million next year to fund new research aimed at understanding the molecular mechanisms that control circadian clocks in aging tissues.
NIA said this week that it will provide up to $200,000 per year for projects lasting up to five years for research that use 'omics technologies, systems biology, imaging, and single cell studies to find out how molecular and cellular mechanisms influence circadian clocks.
The projects may include studies seeking to understand the impact of alterations in the clock system on gene expression, chromatin remodeling, translation, signaling, and function of individual cells in aging tissues.
The studies also may delve into the pathophysiology of alterations to circadian clock regulation in aged tissues and focus on the response of the clock system to metabolic, nutritional, environmental, and pharmacological challenges.
The research projects may also look into the interaction of epigenetic mechanisms and clock systems during aging, genetic variants involved in the circadian program and their association with aging, and the effects of clock-associated genes during aging.