How cells and viruses make proteins and clear faulty protein pieces
Official title: Mechanisms of eukaryotic translation and ribosome-associated mRNA surveillance and protein quality control
Funded at Suny Downstate Medical Center · NIH-11328807 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are learning how human and viral proteins are made and how cells remove faulty protein fragments, which may help people with viral infections or illnesses caused by broken protein production.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Suny Downstate Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Brooklyn, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2017 |
| Project end | April 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $681,240 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM122602-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11328807 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
There is no direct patient enrollment, but people who might benefit in the future include patients with viral infections (for example COVID‑19) or disorders linked to defective protein quality control.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with health issues unrelated to viral infection or protein translation/quality control are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This lab is mapping the steps that cells and viruses use to make proteins and what happens when the ribosome stalls. They rebuild the protein-making machinery from purified pieces in the lab and combine biochemical tests with advanced cryo-electron microscopy to observe these steps in detail. The work focuses on surveillance systems that detect stalled translation and the pathways that degrade abnormal protein fragments, with relevance to viral translation including SARS‑CoV‑2. Although this is basic laboratory research rather than a clinical program, the insights could point to new drug targets or treatment approaches over time.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could identify new ways to block viral protein production or prevent harmful buildup of faulty proteins, informing future therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Other groups and this team have successfully reconstituted parts of the translation and ribosome-associated quality control machinery in vitro, but applying these discoveries to patient treatments is still early-stage and unproven.
Where this research is happening
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Suny Downstate Medical Center
Brooklyn, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pestova, Tatyana V — Suny Downstate Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Pestova, Tatyana V
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.