How cells form and control heat-triggered protein and RNA droplets
Function and Regulation of Stress-Induced Adaptive Condensates
This research looks at how cells form and control tiny protein and RNA droplets when heated, which may change how immune cells work during fever and how some fungi survive in warm hosts.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11249134 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project studies how cells respond to heat by forming biomolecular 'droplets' of protein and mRNA and how those droplets are later disassembled. Researchers will use biochemical experiments, cell biology tests, and evolutionary comparisons in yeast and vertebrate immune cells to learn what these condensates do and how heat shock proteins control them. The team will also explore how temperature signals are sensed and relayed inside cells, including in fungi that rely on warm-blooded hosts and in immune cells activated during fever. The goal is to understand whether these heat-triggered structures are protective, regulated features of cells rather than harmful aggregates.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This is mainly laboratory research and does not currently enroll patients, though its findings could later be relevant to people with fever-related immune issues or fungal infections.
Not a fit: Patients with conditions unrelated to heat-stress biology or immune activation are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this research in the near term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to modulate immune responses during fever or to target fungi that tolerate warm hosts.
How similar studies have performed: Recent lab studies have shown heat can trigger functional biomolecular condensates, but applying that knowledge toward therapies remains novel and unproven.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, United States
- University of Chicago — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Drummond, David Allan — University of Chicago
- Study coordinator: Drummond, David Allan
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 below.