# Structural Studies of the Corona Virus Life Cycle

> **NIH NIH R00** · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · 2020 · $129,120

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
 Coronaviruses are a diverse family of viruses infecting many animals including humans. The 21st
century is now experiencing its third outbreak of a novel pathogenic coronavirus that has crossed from an
animal host into humans for the first time. The outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 is unprecedented among human
coronaviruses in its size and the speed of its spread. Countering this viral outbreak will require a detailed
mechanistic understanding of virus protein function. The goals of this project are to gain highly detailed
information about the SARS-CoV-2 replication complex using single-particle cryo-electron microscopy. We will
use this high-resolution imaging technique to determine structures of the SARS-CoV-2 polymerase complex
bound to substrates and small molecule antiviral drugs. We will complement these structural analyses with a
detailed biochemical study of protein-protein and protein-RNA interactions and the influence of these
interactions on SARS-CoV-2 polymerase activity. These studies include mutagenesis of key interfaces in the
protein complex and testing of the recombinant proteins in polymerase activity assays. These studies have the
potential to illuminate the mechanisms used by the SARS-CoV-2 polymerase complex to replicate its viral
genome and provide a mechanistic understanding of antiviral therapeutic action key to the development of
novel antiviral therapeutics to treat COVID-19.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10140002
- **Project number:** 3R00AI123498-03S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
- **Principal Investigator:** Robert N Kirchdoerfer
- **Activity code:** R00 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $129,120
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2020-05-21 → 2020-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10140002

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10140002, Structural Studies of the Corona Virus Life Cycle (3R00AI123498-03S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10140002. Licensed CC0.

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