Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases awarded the University of Wisconsin–Madison a $475,681 Project Grant effective February 1, 2026, through January 31, 2031, under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855). The project, titled "Deciphering HIV-1 Alternatively Spliced Transcript Functionality with HYPR-MS," will develop novel research tools and methodologies to investigate the functions, protein interactions, and cellular localizations of individual HIV-1 messenger RNA splice variants. Specifically, the grant funds the creation of sensitive, multiplexed assays using HYPR-MS (Hybrid Proximity-dependent Rapid Mass Spectrometry) technology to characterize the protein interactomes of up to 20 conserved HIV-1 mRNA splice variants and advance mechanistic studies of newly identified viral RNA regulatory co-factors.

The research will produce two primary deliverables: (1) comprehensive protein interaction data for individual HIV-1 splice variants that will enhance understanding of viral replication mechanisms, and (2) a novel multiplexed branched DNA fluorescence in situ hybridization technique (SV-FISH) enabling single-cell viral RNA abundance quantification and subcellular localization mapping. Upon completion, these tools and methodologies will constitute a transferable toolkit applicable to splice variant investigations in other viral and cellular systems, advancing the broader field of infectious disease research.