Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded the University of Florida a Project Grant of $3.39 million under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) to conduct research on ATPase chromatin remodeling complexes as modulators of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1) latency and therapeutic targets. The award, effective June 18, 2026, through May 31, 2030, supports research conducted at the university's Jupiter, Florida facility. The research directly addresses a critical public health challenge by investigating how chromatin remodeling mechanisms control HIV persistence in long-lived CD4 T cell reservoirs despite antiretroviral therapy (ART), with the ultimate objective of developing rational "block-and-lock" cure strategies that achieve durable viral silencing.

The research deliverables encompass multiple integrated scientific aims focused on characterizing specific remodeler proteins (INO80A, SMARCA5, CHD1, and CHD2) and their roles in regulating HIV transcriptional checkpoints. The project utilizes advanced methodological platforms including turboid-proximity labeling mass spectrometry for locus-specific proteomics, single-nucleosome mapping sequencing, and acute protein depletion techniques. Specific products and outputs include comprehensive characterization of ATPase requirements and transcriptional checkpoints, identification of remodeler-specific protein complexes at the HIV promoter, and experimental validation of combinatorial perturbation strategies to inform future therapeutic development. These research products directly contribute to NIAID's mission of supporting biomedical research to advance scientific understanding and improve public health outcomes in infectious disease management.