This $3,000,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Program (CFDA 47.041) Project Grant, awarded to Trustees of Boston University on September 1, 2024, will address the long-standing challenge of developing self-amplifying ribonucleic acid (SARNA) technology. The research team will:
- Synthesize a library of modified nucleoside triphosphates to improve the cellular half-life of SARNA,
- Evaluate the functional protein expression performance of the modified SARNA,
- Determine the performance of SARNA derived from other viruses and optimize expression using AI-assisted methods, and
- Incorporate polycistronic gene expression and logic gates into SARNA to enhance engineering control.
This systematic experimental study aims to create a powerful synthetic RNA genome platform that can advance RNA engineering applications across diverse industries, from farming to medicine. The project will also provide research training and educational opportunities for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and high school students.
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