How flu virus RNA makes extra or missing pieces that can make infections worse
Official title: Structure and dynamics of RNA elements regulating viral aberrant RNA synthesis
Funded at Princeton University · NIH-11398337 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are working to understand how flu viruses' RNA copying machinery makes extra or missing RNA pieces that can lead to more severe seasonal or bird flu infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Princeton University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Princeton, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 8, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $984,000 |
| NIH project number | 4DP2AI175474-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11398337 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
There is no patient enrollment, but the findings are most relevant to people exposed to or infected by seasonal or avian influenza and to communities at risk for outbreaks.
✕Less likely to help
People seeking immediate treatment for a current flu infection are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this basic laboratory research.
What this research studies
From your perspective, the team uses lab experiments to pause and observe the flu virus's RNA copying machine as it makes RNA. They combine structural imaging, biochemical tests, and RNA sequencing to see when and why the polymerase slips, deletes letters, or inserts extra ones, producing small 'mini viral RNAs' or changes in the hemagglutinin protein. Most work is done on flu virus samples and models from bird and human influenza to map the RNA elements that drive these errors. The aim is to identify the exact steps that can turn milder viruses into more dangerous forms so future tests or treatments can target them.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal molecular warning signs of dangerous flu strains and point to new targets for diagnostics, vaccines, or antiviral drugs.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research has identified small 'mini viral RNAs' linked to severe influenza, but applying polymerase-stalling and high-resolution structural methods to explain large insertions and deletions is relatively novel and experimental.
Where this research is happening
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Princeton University
Princeton, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Te Velthuis, Arend Jan — Princeton University
- Study coordinator: Te Velthuis, Arend Jan
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.