# Designing addressable proteoliposomes by using viral transmembrane proteins and biomimetic cell-free synthesis techniques.

> **NIH NIH F32** · CORNELL UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $74,284

## Abstract

Project Summary /Abstract
Viruses present one of the most efficient mechanisms for intracellular cargo (i.e. viral genome)
delivery in which interactions at the virus-host cell interface dictate the delivery pathway. For
instance, enveloped viruses- those that are 'wrapped' in a lipid bilayer, deliver their genetic cargo
by first interacting with extracellular receptors, triggering a reaction cascade that results in fusion
of the virus- and host cell lipid membranes and cargo release into the cytosol. Harnessing the
efficiency of this translocation mechanism would drastically improve cellular uptake of therapeutic
and bioactive cargo, currently a major obstacle in both agricultural and pharmaceutical
communities, each with major impact on human health. The research proposed in this fellowship
aims to repurpose viral fusion machinery for delivering user-defined cargo to cells containing the
appropriate receptors. More specifically, several virus-derived proteins have been chosen
including Hemagglutinin (HA) - from Influenza, glycoprotein G (NiV-G) and fusion protein F (NiV-
F) - from Nipah virus, and Spike protein - from SARS-CoV-2. These proteins represent a small
selection of model proteins, all of which interact with different receptor types found on the cellular
surface, providing a potential handle for targeting cells that abundantly display the specific
receptors. To circumvent challenges associated with using infectious viruses or isolating
membrane proteins, we will concurrently adapt existing cell-free synthesis (CFPS) techniques to
produce membrane proteins and efficiently insert them into our delivery vehicles of choice-
liposomes. The short-term goals of this project are to demonstrate 1) virus fusion-protein activity
and delivery, and 2) improved efficiency of virus membrane insertion into liposomes using the
adapted CFPS methodologies. The long-term goals include tuning the biodistribution capabilities,
afforded by the virus-derived proteins, to deliver cargo to discrete and specific locations within the
human body or other organism. This fellowship will provide the applicant with the financial support
needed to design and test the proteoliposome-based delivery system and develop ideas that will
aid the applicant's independent research program in the field of virus-inspired biomaterials.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10902538
- **Project number:** 1F32AI183691-01
- **Recipient organization:** CORNELL UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Ekaterina Selivanovitch
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $74,284
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-05-01 → 2027-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10902538

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10902538, Designing addressable proteoliposomes by using viral transmembrane proteins and biomimetic cell-free synthesis techniques. (1F32AI183691-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10902538. Licensed CC0.

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