Integrative Research Impact & Future Outlook

Theme for Thrust Project Talks at 2025 Annual Retreat: The Value of Integrative Research and the Future of the Institute in Y5 and Beyond. NSF-BII program has been most interested in what our collective synergy as an institute is producing from an integrative perspective. How has your Thrust project and our collaborative network been able to discover, train, and produce greater impactful research and community building outcomes vs. the sum of our individual labs acting alone? Although foundational domain focused research is important to Institute success, please focus your thrust presentations on one or a few significant outcomes that occurred due to collaborations at some level (within and beyond EMBRIO). Detail the collaboration(s), the exchanges, learning, and discovery that has taken place. Touch on any exciting new results not yet presented to EMBRIO and reference any recent publications or pre-prints, or conference papers. Discuss your goals/plans for our Y5 and for the following five years if EMBRIO is funded, while spending some time to discuss ideas to continue collaborations without NSF funding in the event of agency cuts. What can the Institute foster now to support continued integrative efforts beyond Y5? The final slide speaks to plans for Y5 (Sept 2025 Aug 2026) In the event that EMBRIO is fully funded in Y5, especially touch on activity that will require the Institute network (and/or perhaps others not currently in the network) in order to result in successful outcomes. What would you be able to achieve through integrative activity in the next five years if we are funded? In the event that our NSF funding is reduced or eliminated, what potential pathways do you have that may enable you to continue collaborations at some level? Each Thrust Lead/Project will have 30 min total (e.g. Thrust 1A 30 min, Thrust 1B 30 min) please aim for 20 25 minutes maxto ensure at least 5 min for questions and discussion. Pulling in your CORE and other collaborators to tag-team the talk is encouraged, as is including your trainees in the presentation.

Project: (copy & paste from list below) Thrust Integration: (faculty & student presenters should be collaborating with faculty/lab from a different Core/Thrust on their project efforts) EMBRIO Committee: (student presenters should have an EMBRIO faculty member from a different Core/Thrust on their graduate committee (if you don t have someone yet, discuss the expertise sought in the final, challenges slide) Project C1: Develop a shared-resource platform hosting simulation tools for various scales (from intracellular signaling to multi-cellular organization) and multi-modal biological cues. Project C2: Develop machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) tools to 1) bridge across scales from single cell behavior to multicellular coupled cell responses, 2) bridge experimental data and simulations across biological contexts. Project C3: Develop shared measurement systems and protocols including high resolution imaging and atomic force microscopy (AFM).

This work is based upon efforts supported by the EMBRIO Institute, contract #2120200, a National Science Foundation (NSF) Biology Integration Institute Significant activities, approaches, and challenges to be addressed in Year 5 and beyond: , Click to add text