The cool team will conduct an interdisciplinary investigation of the origins, evolution and significance of translation, which is a window to primeval events and molecular structures. We will…

This is a $4,739,661.00 grant awarded by the Shared Services Center, a civilian U.S. government agency, to the Georgia TECH Research Corporation to conduct an interdisciplinary investigation into the origins, evolution, and significance of translation - the fundamental biological process that links RNA and proteins. The research project, which does not have a set-aside designation, will integrate various scientific approaches to understand how the mutualistic relationship between polypeptides and polynucleotides took root and came to define life on Earth. The research will be organized around four main themes: (1) evolution of translation in vivo, (2) evolution of translation in vitro, (3) walking back from extant biology, and (4) origins of molecular mutualism. Georgia TECH Research Corporation, a non-profit organization and state institution of higher education, has significant experience executing research and development contracts and grants for federal agencies across areas like materials science, engineering, and computer science.

The cool team will conduct an interdisciplinary investigation of the origins, evolution and significance of translation, which is a window to primeval events and molecular structures. We will integrate biophysical, structural, bioinformatic, biochemical, chemical and evolutionary approaches to understand biology s internal fossil record . Our overriding scientific question is: how did the original and most profound mutualistic relationship in biology, of polypeptide and polynucleotide, take root and ultimately come to define and rule the biological earth? The central question will be framed by four themes: (theme 1) evolution of translation in vivo, (theme 2) evolution of translation in vitro, (theme 3) walking back from extant biology and (theme 4) origins of molecular mutualism.