Federal Grant Award Summary

Funding Agency and Program: The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded this Project Grant under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) in the amount of $234,750.00, with an award date of July 16, 2026, and a completion date of June 30, 2028.

Research Deliverables: This grant supports fundamental research investigating the role of FSHR-1, a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), as a key host receptor mediating Orsay virus (ORV) entry into Caenorhabditis elegans intestinal cells. The project will advance understanding of viral pathogenesis mechanisms through in vivo studies of host-pathogen interactions, leveraging the genetic tractability and optical transparency of C. elegans—the only known natural host organism for ORV. Primary research deliverables include characterization of the structural interaction between the viral CP-D pentameric head fiber knob domain and FSHR-1, elucidation of receptor internalization and clathrin-mediated endocytosis mechanisms triggered by viral binding, and validation of FSHR-1's role as an essential entry receptor. Research will be conducted at William Marsh Rice University's Office of Sponsored Projects in Houston, Texas, and is expected to generate peer-reviewed publications, structural data, and mechanistic insights applicable to understanding viral infection dynamics in model organisms and potentially informing broader infectious disease research.