ST. LOUIS (AP) – A grant worth nearly $24 million from the National Science Foundation will fund a collaboration between Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Pennsylvania.

The goal of the collaboration announced Monday is to identify and harness the mechanical functions of plants and animals at the cellular level. Washington University officials say the examination of how single cells function will help transform medicine and plant science.

The collaboration adds the Washington University-Penn team to the National Science Foundation’s list of Science & Technology Centers.

Researchers from five other institutions will also join in the effort.