# Core 2 - Crystallography

> **NIH NIH U54** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2020 · $341,083

## Abstract

Core 2: Crystallography - Summary
The CRNA Crystallography Core will collaborate with CRNA investigators to solve
crystal structures of RNA-protein complexes, RNAs and proteins relevant to HIV RNA-
mediated processes. The Core also provides essential expertise and materials that
extend far beyond the crystallography mission and support many macromolecule
preparation and analysis aspects of CRNA research. The Core team, led by Smith and
Stuckey, offers collaborative expertise in molecular biology tailored for RNAs and RNA-
protein complexes, including construct design, expression testing, and development of
purification protocols. The resulting vectors, expression plasmids and protocols as well
as purified RNAs, RNA-protein complexes and proteins are provided to collaborating
investigators in the CRNA, with the Core lab at the University of Michigan acting as a
repository for materials and protocols. Two new members of the Crystallography Core
team, CRNA investigator Pornillos (U Virginia) and Significant Contributor Zhang
(NIDDK, NIH), bring exceptional expertise in the design, production and validation of
RNAs and RNA-protein complexes, particularly for crystallization. In CRNA 2.0, the Core
will develop novel methods for expression of RNAs, formation of RNA-protein complexes
by co-expression, and design of chaperones to aid RNA crystallization. The Core will
also establish an in vitro RNA synthesis capability at Michigan. In support of its
crystallography mission, the Core will develop cutting-edge methods to aid RNA
crystallization, to improve the diffraction quality of crystals, to solve the phase problem
for RNA-containing crystals, to improve crystallographic refinement for RNA-containing
structures, and to facilitate the combination of crystallography and electron microscopy.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9993262
- **Project number:** 5U54AI150470-09
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** JANET L. SMITH
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $341,083
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2012-09-17 → 2022-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9993262

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9993262, Core 2 - Crystallography (5U54AI150470-09). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9993262. Licensed CC0.

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