Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded the University of Oxford a Project Grant totaling $170,980 under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) on June 23, 2026, with an ultimate completion date of May 31, 2028. This award funds research into the structural biology of HIV-1 transcription and latency in CD4 T cells, addressing a critical gap in understanding how human immunodeficiency virus persists in patients despite effective antiretroviral therapy.

The research deliverables center on applying advanced microscopy-based structural biology techniques—specifically correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM), cryo-focused ion beam milling, and cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET)—to directly visualize individual HIV proviruses within intact cell nuclei at the nanoscale level. The project aims to establish dual-reporter labeling strategies in both CEM cell lines and primary CD4 T cells to distinguish between active and silent proviruses, map their nuclear locations, and characterize the distinct structural states associated with HIV latency and transcriptional activity. By revealing the nanoscale chromatin architecture and nuclear environments that determine proviral competence, this research is expected to advance understanding of HIV persistence mechanisms and inform future strategies for achieving viral cure.