Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Jennifer Hurley, assistant professor of biological sciences, has received a Facilities Integrating Collaborations for User Science (FICUS) two-year grant worth $160,000.

The FICUS program, established in 2014, is supported by the Department of Energy Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research program. Researchers compete by submitting proposals to conduct research that addresses some of the most pressing issues facing society today, and winners receive funding as well as the opportunity to use scientific instruments and work with scientific staff at no cost.

Hurley’s research focuses on the fundamental mechanisms underlying the circadian clock and health implications of a disrupted clock. With the FICUS award, Hurley will explore how to maximize fungal cellulase production using circadian timing. Fungal cellulases have extensive applications in the biofuel industries.

“This project aims to map the clock ‘repressive complex’ conformational shifts over the circadian day to analyze their effect on circadian regulation of biofuel production,” said Hurley.