Detecting hidden RNA rearrangements in the COVID‑19 virus
Official title: Computational analysis of transcriptome rearrangements in SARS-CoV-2
Funded at Rutgers the State Univ of Nj Camden · NIH-11098227 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project builds free computer tools to find unusual RNA rearrangements in the COVID‑19 virus that could point to new targets for treatments or vaccines for people affected by COVID‑19.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers the State Univ of Nj Camden NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Camden, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2025 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $151,870 |
| NIH project number | 1R16GM158776-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11098227 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who had COVID‑19 and can provide viral samples or whose viral sequences are already in public databases are most directly relevant to this work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients seeking immediate clinical treatment or those with health issues unrelated to viral infections are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this computational project.
What this research studies
Researchers will re‑analyze large collections of SARS‑CoV‑2 genetic data using new computational software designed to find non‑canonical RNA junctions that existing tools may have missed. The team will characterize the properties of these junctions and generate hypotheses about whether they produce previously unknown viral proteins or affect how the virus behaves. The software pipeline will be released as open‑source so other scientists can use and improve it for studying SARS‑CoV‑2 and other pathogens. The work is primarily computational and aims to guide future laboratory studies or clinical research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reveal new viral features that become targets for drugs or vaccines, improving treatments and future pandemic preparedness.
How similar studies have gone: Genome‑level analyses have previously uncovered important SARS‑CoV‑2 RNAs and proteins, but focused searches for these specific non‑canonical junctions are relatively new and exploratory.
Where this research is happening
-
Rutgers the State Univ of Nj Camden
Camden, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Grigoriev, Andrey — Rutgers the State Univ of Nj Camden
- Study coordinator: Grigoriev, Andrey
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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.