# Administrative Supplement to Purchase Flash Chromatography Instrument

> **NIH NIH R35** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2020 · $38,799

## Abstract

SUMMARY
RNA functions as the central conduit of information exchange in all cells, a role encapsulated in two
critical observations. First, a large fraction of emerging infectious diseases are caused by RNA viruses
including Ebola, Chikungunya, Zika, and Dengue. Second, a much larger fraction of the mammalian
genome is transcribed into diverse kinds of non-coding RNAs (~70%) than is translated into protein (1-
2%). The functions of messenger, non-coding, and viral RNAs are governed by the linear sequence,
base-paired secondary structure, higher-order tertiary structure, and quaternary interactions involving
proteins and small molecules. Overall, our understanding of the number and complexity of RNA
structures and how RNA structure drives diverse biological functions is very limited. Most methods
developed to date for analyzing RNA structure in high-throughput ways do not measure structure in a
definitive and accurate way, making it difficult to define broad principles for interrelationships between
RNA structure and function. We seek to understand the fundamental roles of RNA structure in all areas
of biology by pursuing a two-pronged approach involving (1) inventing, developing, and rigorously
validating highly accurate chemistry-based technologies for discovery of novel RNA structures and the
networks of interactions between RNAs and proteins and then (2) applying these technologies to
problems of broad importance. Here we propose to interrogate the structures and interaction partners
of the pathogenic Dengue RNA virus and the Xist long non-coding RNA. Throughout this work, we will
focus on in-cell analysis of native viral and endogenous RNAs. This work is expected to have long-term
impact for three broad reasons. First, RNA elements with higher-order folds and extensive protein
networks are likely to be harbingers of function. Second, there are likely to be structural folds that are
different from the relatively limited classes of structures that have been analyzed to date. Third, RNA
elements with higher-order folds also contain clefts and crevices that are ideal targets for small-
molecule ligands – and novel drugs – that modulate biological function by targeting RNA.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10135347
- **Project number:** 3R35GM122532-04S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Kevin M Weeks
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $38,799
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2017-06-09 → 2022-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10135347

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10135347, Administrative Supplement to Purchase Flash Chromatography Instrument (3R35GM122532-04S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10135347. Licensed CC0.

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