Understanding and engineering protein degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasome system
Official title: Understanding and Engineering Chemically Activated Ubiquitin Ligases
Funded at Virginia Polytechnic Inst and St Univ · NIH-11373093 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers aim to better understand and gently modify how cells recycle proteins to help conditions linked to protein mismanagement in humans and plants.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Virginia Polytechnic Inst and St Univ NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Blacksburg, United States) |
| Project start | September 22, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $366,155 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM150856-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11373093 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with diseases linked to proteasome dysfunction or misregulated protein degradation may indirectly benefit from breakthroughs, as could individuals in agriculture affected by plant stress signaling.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without conditions related to protein degradation or plants without stress-related signaling may not experience direct benefits.
What this research studies
This project focuses on how the ubiquitin-proteasome system marks proteins for destruction and how we might engineer this process. It explores the basic biology across animals and plants and seeks ways to control protein degradation for potential applications in health and agriculture. The work involves studying proteasome components like the 20S core particle and related factors to understand how degradation is regulated. The insights could lead to new approaches for treating diseases where protein turnover goes awry and for improving plant responses to environmental stress. The effort will combine molecular biology, biochemistry, and potentially engineered systems to test ideas in model organisms and plants.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could inform new strategies to treat human diseases linked to protein degradation and improve crop resilience through targeted protein control.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that manipulating the ubiquitin-proteasome system can influence disease-related pathways, though engineering these processes remains challenging and early-stage.
Where this research is happening
-
Virginia Polytechnic Inst and St Univ
Blacksburg, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wright, Robert Clay — Virginia Polytechnic Inst and St Univ
- Study coordinator: Wright, Robert Clay
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.