# A Comprehensive Human cDNA Library For Functional Gene Replacement in Drosophila

> **NIH NIH R24** · BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE · 2020 · $750,329

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The recent pandemic of COVID-19 due to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has created an urgent
need to understand the biological mechanisms of pathogenesis of this new disease. The SARS-CoV-2 is a
coronavirus with a slightly less than 30 kilobases (kb) long RNA genome that encodes 26 proteins that interact
with several hundred human proteins and initiate a number of pathogenic steps. Here we use the genetic
model Drosophila melanogaster to understand gene and protein function involved in COVID-19. We will
generate a library of UAS-cDNA constructs and transgenic flies to express and functionally assess the viral
proteins. We will also generate transgenic flies for over 300 genes in the human genome involved in viral
replication and COVID-19 disease. We will generate Drosophila reagents for the Drosophila homologs of these
human genes using a unique drop-in technology and we will update the online hub for the dissemination of
these resources to Drosophila labs throughout the world.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10167394
- **Project number:** 3R24OD022005-05S1
- **Recipient organization:** BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** HUGO J BELLEN
- **Activity code:** R24 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $750,329
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2016-06-01 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10167394

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10167394, A Comprehensive Human cDNA Library For Functional Gene Replacement in Drosophila (3R24OD022005-05S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10167394. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*