The University of Florida's Division of Sponsored Research was awarded a $619,999 Project Grant by the National Science Foundation's Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) with an award date of August 1, 2024 and a completion date of July 31, 2027. The grant will fund research to develop state-of-the-art technologies to map the comprehensive structure of viroid RNA, the genetic material of viroids which are infectious non-coding RNA agents that pose significant threats to agriculture, especially crops like oil palm and coconut palm. The research aims to understand how viroid RNA structure regulates infection in plant cells, including examining structural changes in response to high temperatures driven by climate change. This knowledge will lay the foundation for identifying targets to develop anti-viroid drugs. The project will also provide high-quality training for next-generation scientists including undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers.
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