How virus condensates change how cells make proteins
Official title: Dissecting the Impact of Viral Biomolecular Condensates on Cellular Translation and RNA Interference (RNAi)
Funded at University of Missouri Kansas City · NIH-11392973 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Scientists study how viral protein condensates inside cells affect which proteins are made, focusing on certain plant viruses to learn about virus-host interactions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Missouri Kansas City NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Kansas City, United States) |
| Project start | September 10, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $391,250 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM154909-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11392973 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This research is at the basic science stage using model plant viruses; it does not specify patient participation.
✕Less likely to help
Direct patient benefit is not part of this basic-science grant; outcomes are primarily to advance biological understanding.
What this research studies
This project looks at how membrane-less viral condensates influence cellular translation and RNA interference. Using model +ssRNA plant viruses like PEMV2 and TCV, researchers will examine how viral components such as p26 alter host translation, and use nanopore sequencing and TRAP-seq to map changes in the translatome during infection. The work aims to understand if viral condensates suppress antiviral transcripts while boosting viral or pro-viral translation, and how these condensates might act as switches during replication. The long-term goal is to reveal mechanisms that could inform antiviral strategies and broader biology of condensates in human cells.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Understanding these mechanisms could inform future antiviral interventions and broader knowledge about how cells regulate protein production during infection.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research using condensates and viral proteins has yielded insights into how translation can be reprogrammed during infection; this project extends those findings to identify mechanisms in PEMV2/TCV.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Missouri Kansas City
Kansas City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: May, Jared Paul — University of Missouri Kansas City
- Study coordinator: May, Jared Paul
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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.