# Structure, Function, and Engineering of RiPP Biosynthetic Enzymes

> **NIH NIH R35** · UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN · 2024 · $576,609

## Abstract

Project Summary
Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) constitute a large
class of natural products with a wide range of biological activities, including anticancer,
antinociceptive, antiplasmodial, and antibacterial. The biosynthetic enzymes that convert linear,
inactive peptide substrates into constrained bioactive compounds are not well understood,
especially with regards to enzyme mechanism, substrate recognition and in their utility for
producing new derivatives. The Nair research group has been engaged in research to address
these questions for the past 18 years. We seek to carry out biochemical, structural biological, and
engineering studies on several classes of RiPP biosynthetic enzymes and address questions
regarding substrate recognition, and substrate tolerance. We anticipate that this work will be of
use not only towards the discovery of new therapeutic compounds but to enable the production
of both of improved versions of these bioactive compounds, as well as new to enable production
of peptide-based compounds for which the biosynthetic pathways are not known.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10757159
- **Project number:** 1R35GM151874-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN
- **Principal Investigator:** Satish K Nair
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $576,609
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-06-01 → 2029-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10757159

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10757159, Structure, Function, and Engineering of RiPP Biosynthetic Enzymes (1R35GM151874-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10757159. Licensed CC0.

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