Biology's Michael Lampson Receives Grants From The National Institutes of Health

Michael Lampson, Professor of Biology, was one of eight Penn researchers to receive grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support “highly innovative and broadly impactful” biomedical science through the NIH Common Fund’s High-Risk, High-Reward Research program.

The High-Risk, High-Reward Research program catalyzes scientific discovery by supporting research proposals that, due to their inherent risk, may struggle in the traditional peer-review process, despite their transformative potential. Program applicants are encouraged to pursue trailblazing ideas in any area of research relevant to the NIH’s mission to advance knowledge and enhance health.

Lampson, along with Ben Black, Eldridge Reeves Johnson Foundation Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics in the Perelman School of Medicine, received the Transformative Research Award. Lampson and Black are co-principal investigators on a project aiming to construct the first synthetic mammalian artificial chromosomes that follow Mendel’s laws from minimal components. Success will transform fundamental understanding of what comprises a mammalian chromosome and have wide-ranging applications in synthetic biology and biotechnology, such as the creation of animal models for drug development and as sources of personalized organs for transplantation.

Read the full announcement here.