The University of Wisconsin System was awarded a $375,430 Project Grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859) to investigate the regulation of RNA condensates by RNA helicases and the impact of condensation on RNA helicase activity. The proposed research aims to establish a framework for understanding how RNA helicases, which perform ATP-dependent RNA remodeling activities, regulate the structure and function of RNA condensates, also known as membraneless organelles or RNA granules. The research will combine analysis of germ granules, a type of RNA condensate, in the C. elegans animal model with biochemical reconstitution to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying condensate regulation, dynamics, and function in native cells. The grant will fund rigorous in vitro and quantitative cell-based assays using techniques such as genome editing, condensate biophysical measurements, super-resolution microscopy, and RNA biochemistry. The project seeks to provide new insights that will enable the identification of novel therapeutic targets for condensate-related diseases.
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