Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Georgia Tech Research Corp has received a $607,227 Project Grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859), effective July 1, 2026 through April 30, 2030. The research project investigates transcript RNA-mediated mechanisms in the end-joining repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), a fundamental process critical to genomic integrity and cancer prevention. The funded research will deliver systematic analysis of how RNA transcripts modulate DNA repair pathways, including non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and microhomology-mediated end joining (MMEJ), through the development of isogenic human cell lines and molecular perturbation studies.

The project will produce detailed scientific findings regarding the role of RNA in DSB repair mechanisms through two primary research aims: (1) establishment of engineered human cell lines expressing varied RNA transcripts to assess repair pathway modulation following CRISPR/Cas9-induced chromosomal breaks, with results analyzed through deep sequencing and bioinformatics; and (2) identification of regulatory proteins and molecular processes involved in RNA-mediated repair through targeted inhibition of key repair factors and selective reduction of transcript RNA using chemical inhibitors, small interfering RNAs, and CRISPRi technology. These research activities will advance fundamental understanding of genome maintenance pathways and contribute to the broader knowledge base supporting disease diagnosis and treatment development.