# Exploring the Dynamic Structures of Nucleic Acids

> **NIH NIH R35** · CORNELL UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $394,975

## Abstract

The increasing recognition of RNA’s importance provides strong motivation for understanding
how its dynamic structures contribute to biology at the molecular scale. Much of RNA’s versatility
is derived from its intrinsic conformational flexibility and capacity to interact with a broad range of
cellular partners. Assessment of RNA’s structures is challenged by the variations that supports
these multiple roles. This program supports the continued application of tightly coupled
experimental and computational tools to characterize ensembles of RNA structures. Recent
advances enhance the resolution or interpretation of solution-based measurements, revealing
subtle but important changes in rigid elements, like duplexes, or the full range of structures
assumed by highly flexible unpaired strands. This project now extends studies of RNA from
isolated motifs to biologically functional elements and aims to resolve their atomically detailed
workings. A distinct focus is on the structural variation of single-stranded motifs. The capture or
release of these highly flexible regions is a potent signal exploited in regulating the translation of
mRNAs into proteins, via interactions with ions, small ligands or RNA motifs such as duplexes or
loops in helix-junction-helix motifs. Because of their importance in controlling gene expression,
these motifs offer new targets for therapeutic intervention or strategies for stabilizing existing
RNA-based drugs or vaccines. Finally, this project will continue successful efforts to characterize
the interaction of flexible nucleic acid motifs with proteins, laying the groundwork for
understanding how large nucleic acid-protein complexes function.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10831044
- **Project number:** 5R35GM122514-08
- **Recipient organization:** CORNELL UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Lois Pollack
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $394,975
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-05-01 → 2027-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10831044

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10831044, Exploring the Dynamic Structures of Nucleic Acids (5R35GM122514-08). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10831044. Licensed CC0.

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