3D building blocks of noncoding RNA
Official title: RNA Structural Motif Analysis Revisited: Towards a Systematic Understanding of Noncoding RNA as Modular Biomolecules
Funded at University of Central Florida · NIH-11129320 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Using computer-vision-inspired methods to map tiny 3D RNA building blocks that can affect health for people with RNA-related conditions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Central Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Orlando, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2012 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,119,355 |
| NIH project number | 2R01GM102515-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11129320 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with conditions thought to involve noncoding RNA dysfunction—for example certain genetic disorders, some cancers, or RNA splicing diseases—are the groups most likely to benefit in the future.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with conditions unrelated to RNA biology, such as most traumatic injuries or routine bacterial infections, are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
Researchers are applying new computer-vision techniques to read the three-dimensional shapes of noncoding RNAs and find recurring structural motifs that act like molecular building blocks. They treat the pattern of base interactions as a 3D point cloud to detect motifs more accurately and faster than older methods. By improving annotation of these small structural parts, the team hopes to link specific motif errors to disease mechanisms and guide future diagnostics or treatments. The project is primarily computational and carried out at the University of Central Florida using existing RNA structural data.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could enable better diagnostic markers and point to new targets for therapies that correct RNA-related faults.
How similar studies have gone: Previous computational studies, including prior NIH-funded work by this group, have identified RNA structural motifs, and this proposal introduces a novel 3D point-cloud detection approach to improve on those results.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Central Florida
Orlando, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhang, Shaojie — University of Central Florida
- Study coordinator: Zhang, Shaojie
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.