# Administrative Supplement (Equipment): Nucleic acid modulators and theranostics for ADAR

> **NIH NIH R35** · VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $175,170

## Abstract

Summary
Background on the need for in-house DNA/RNA synthesis. Nucleic acid (DNA/RNA) theranostics hold
tremendous potential as an emerging class of theranostics in addition to conventional theranostics based on
small molecules and protein biologics (e.g., antibodies). This has been evidenced by the FDA approvals of an
increasing number of small interfering RNA (siRNA), antisense oligonucleotides, and the mRNA vaccines for
SARS-CoV-2, and a long list of nucleic acid theranostics currently tested in the clinic. The unique and moderately
complex chemical structures of DNA/RNA often require fine-tuning and testing of DNA/RNA with various of
secondary structures and chemical modifications; the negative charges and hydrophilicity of DNA/RNA, and the
associated rapid clearance from the blood circulation when administrated into the blood requires further structural
and chemical engineering to improve the pharmacokinetics of DNA/RNA theranostics; further, the susceptibility
of DNA/RNA to nuclease degradation and hydrolysis demands extensive testing of chemical and structural
engineering. To address these challenges, iterative testings of various structural engineering and chemical
modifications are often needed, which involves the synthesis of the corresponding various DNA/RNA with various
secondary structures and/or chemical modifications.
Most of the oligonucleotide DNA/RNA are commercially available currently. However, some uniquely modified
DNA/RNA are not commercially available; moreover, in-house synthesis of DNA/RNA oligonucleotides would be
more economic, especially if the amounts are low for initial testing/screening at the molecular and cellular levels,
and would certainly take less time (<3 days) than external vendors (2-4 weeks for 60-mer RNA oligonucleotides).
In the attached quote, please review the details of the proposed equipment and quoted prices for the proposed
MerMade 12 DNA/RNA synthesizer.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10582378
- **Project number:** 3R35GM143014-01S1
- **Recipient organization:** VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Guizhi Zhu
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $175,170
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2021-09-18 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10582378

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10582378, Administrative Supplement (Equipment): Nucleic acid modulators and theranostics for ADAR (3R35GM143014-01S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-15 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10582378. Licensed CC0.

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