Expanding how TELSAM helps determine protein structures
Official title: Expanding the capabilities and usage of the TELSAM protein crystallization chaperone
Funded at Brigham Young University · NIH-11400524 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A scientist at Brigham Young University is exploring a special protein helper called TELSAM to make it easier to grow crystal structures of disease-related proteins, which can speed up understanding and treatment development.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham Young University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Provo, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $364,845 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM155011-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11400524 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable at this stage for patient participation; the research is focused on foundational protein science to aid future therapies.
✕Less likely to help
There is no direct patient involvement in this basic method development phase.
What this research studies
This grant supports refining TELSAM-based methods to produce protein crystals more reliably and with less labor. The approach involves fusing TELSAM with target proteins so they form crystals suitable for high-resolution X-ray studies. The work aims to enable structure determination even when only tiny amounts of protein can be produced, potentially speeding drug discovery. Collaboration with academic and industry biologists is expected to advance the use of TELSAM in understanding disease mechanisms and informing therapy design.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could shorten the time to obtain detailed molecular structures of disease-related proteins, accelerating drug discovery and development.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary work suggests TELSAM can improve crystallization rates compared to traditional methods, indicating potential but requiring broader validation.
Where this research is happening
-
Brigham Young University
Provo, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Moody, James Daniel — Brigham Young University
- Study coordinator: Moody, James Daniel
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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.