The Discovery Grants program is NSERC鈥檚 largest and longest-standing program, and supports ongoing projects with long-term goals, providing researchers with the flexibility to explore the most promising avenues of research as they emerge. A total of 122 91丝瓜视频 research projects were awarded, for a total investment of $30 million. Amongst the recipients were Ludmer Cenre鈥檚 Principal Investigators, Dr. Silveira and Dr. Thebault.
Energy, Information, and Adaptation: Insulin Signaling as a Driver of Developmental Plasticity
鈥淟ife depends on the ability to adapt, from how cells sense nutrients to how organisms adjust their behavior to changing environments. This adaptive flexibility allows living systems to reorganize in response to early experiences. My research explores how insulin - a molecule best known for controlling metabolism- also guides brain development and shapes neural circuits that support learning, motivation, and decision-making,鈥� Dr. Silveira.
With the support of the Discovery grant, the Silveira Lab will continue exploring how insulin functions as a molecular bridge between metabolism and adaptation, uncovering how biological systems self-organize, balance stability and change, and optimize performance under shifting environmental conditions.
Engineering single-cell transcriptomic tools for detection of rare viral transcripts and mapping host interactions
鈥淭oday鈥檚 single-cell technologies have transformed biology, but they still leave a large part of the cell invisible. My team is developing new molecular and computational tools that will allow us to detect rare RNA molecules that existing technologies simply can鈥檛 see. By making these hidden signals visible, we hope to better understand how viruses interact with immune cells and create technologies that will benefit researchers studying many different biological systems.鈥� Dr. Thebault
With support from the NSERC Discovery Grant, Dr. Thebault will develop next-generation chemical and computational technologies that enable rare RNA molecules to be detected within individual cells. Using persistent viral infection as a model system, his team will engineer broadly applicable single-cell sequencing tools that allow researchers to study previously inaccessible aspects of cell biology, opening new opportunities across immunology, infectious diseases, aging, and biotechnology.
Congratulations to all of the recipients, and we wish them every success in achieving their goals.
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