Project Grant R35GM162070

Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of Washington received a $397,158 Project Grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859), effective April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2031. This award supports fundamental research investigating the biosynthesis, discovery, and biocatalytic production of halogenated nucleosides and nucleoside-sulfamates—pharmaceutical compounds with significant applications in antiviral, antitumor, antibacterial, antifungal, and herbicidal therapies. The research will employ genetic engineering, comparative genomics, and comparative metabolomics to identify and characterize key enzymes involved in halogenation and sulfamate formation, with the ultimate objective of developing these enzymes as viable biocatalysts for pharmaceutical synthesis of existing nucleoside analog therapeutics.

The project deliverables include enzyme kinetic and substrate characterization studies, development of combinatorial assays leveraging ribozyme components, and bioinformatic/metabolomic/genetic discovery approaches to identify novel bacterial nucleoside analogs. The research program integrates the University of Washington's expertise in non-standard nucleoside biochemistry, chemical biology, genetics, and analytical chemistry to establish modular biosynthesis methodologies for rapid synthesis of enzyme inhibitors across diverse therapeutic targets. This investigator-initiated research advances foundational understanding of biological processes and establishes the scientific foundation for improved disease treatment and prevention strategies through pharmaceutical innovation.