Project Grant R21AI197441

Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) received a $195,000 Project Grant award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855), with an award date of February 6, 2026 and completion date of January 31, 2028. The grant funds investigator-initiated research focused on elucidating the role of sphingolipids (SPLs) in innate antiviral immunity, specifically examining how Type I interferon (IFN) modulates sphingolipid metabolism and whether these bioactive lipids regulate the interferon response and infection outcomes during viral infections caused by flaviviruses and coronaviruses such as Zika virus.

The research deliverables include comprehensive lipidomic analyses, development of innovative sphingolipid probes, implementation of CRISPR gene editing techniques, and organelle-targeted lipid perturbation studies to systematically determine the causes and consequences of sphingolipid dysregulation during viral infection. Research aims include defining how interferon-beta alters sphingolipid content and distribution in infected and uninfected cells, with the ultimate objective of uncovering whether viruses manipulate ceramide biosynthesis to suppress innate immune responses or whether the host's interferon response induces sphingolipid changes that enhance antiviral defenses. The project is conducted at OHSU's Portland, Oregon location.