CRNA Investigators and Technologies

Hashim M. Al-Hashimi, PI

RNA Dynamics and Inhibitors

ha2639@cumc.columbia.edu

Lab website

RNA-targeted high-throughput screening

Structure-based lead compound optimization

Visualization of transient RNA structure

Dynamics support in RNA molecular/structural biology

Paul Bieniasz, PI

RNA protein interactions in HIV-1 replication

paul.bieniasz@rockefeller.edu

Lab website


Structure and function of Zinc finger antiviral proteins and cofactors


Identification of antiviral proteins


Regulation of HIV-1 gene expression, splicing and latency


HIV-1 assembly and HIV-1 RNA packaging

Charles Bou-Nader, Collaborative Development Awardee

Structural biochemistry of R-loops and ribonucleoprotein complexes

charles.bou.nader@emory.edu

Lab website


Defining viral nucleic acid sensing by the host


Determining the molecular basis of ribonucleoprotein complex assembly using cryo-EM and X-ray crystallography


Uncovering the role of secondary messengers in innate immunity during HIV infection


Mechanistic basis of gene regulation during viral infection


Shi-Jie Chen, Collaborative Development Awardee

Computational Structural Biology

chenshi@missouri.edu

Lab website

RNA structure prediction

Computational modeling of cotranscriptional folding

RNA-ligand docking and virtual screening

David Case, PI

Computational Methods: Force fields & refinement 

david.case@rutgers.edu

Lab website

Molecular dynamics simulations (with explicit or implicit solvent) of RNA or RNA/protein complexes

Structure refinement based on experimental restraints derived from NMR, X-ray or cryo-EM measurements

The "inverse folding" problem for RNA: design of sequences to match secondary structure motifs

 Victoria D'Souza, PI

 Ribosomal frame shifting 

dsouza@mcb.harvard.edu

Lab website

Understand how programmed ribosomal frameshfiting is used to precisely maintain the Gag to Gag-Pol protein ratio

Understand the structure and dynamics of the RNA regulatory signal that regulates frameshifting

Understand the interactions between the RNA regulatory signal and the ribosome

Kwaku Dayie, PI

RNA Labeling: Enzymatic Methods

dayie@umd.edu

Lab website

Chemo-enzymatic synthesis of atom specifically labeled nucleotides

Biomass synthesis of labeled nucleotides

Site alternate labeled nucleotides in support of NMR structure and dynamic studies

Stephen Goff, PI

Regulation of HIV-1 RNA synthesis and trafficking

spg1@cumc.columbia.edu

Lab website


Silencing of unintegrated HIV-1 DNA; Histones and histone modifications associated with silencing;  Host factors required for silencing. 

Mechanisms of reactivation of latent proviruses to initiate RNA synthesis. Post-transcriptional regulation of escape from latency.

Mechanism of action of the host restriction factor ZAP in targeting and degrading viral RNAs. We will identify and characterize new host cofactors involved in stimulating ZAP activity. 

Exploring the mechanisms for translational frameshifting at the Gag-Pol junction. 

Probing the host regulation of viral mRNA export from the nucleus.

Amanda Hargrove, PI

Small Molecule: RNA Recognition

amanda.hargrove@utoronto.ca

Lab website

RNA ligand design and synthesis

Analysis of small molecule:RNA binding interactions

Synthetic incorporation of modified nucleobases

Small molecule: RNA screening

Theodora Hatziioannou, PI

Interactions of host antiviral proteins with viral RNA and viral antagonists

thatziio@mail.rockefeller.edu

Lab website


Structure and function of viral and antiviral proteins


Interactions of antiviral factors with viral RNA


Species-specific evolution of viral and host factors


Molecular virology techniques

Sun Hur, PI

RNA sensing and TRIM E3 ligases

sun.hur@crystal.harvard.edu

Lab website

defining HIV-1 RNA selectivity of TRIM56

determining the structure of TRIM56 in complex with HIV-1 RNA

defining the downstream consequence of TRIM56-RNA recognition

Bruce A. Johnson, PI

Computational Methods: NMR data analysis

bruce.johnson@asrc.cuny.edu

Lab website

RNA chemical shift prediction 

Chemical shift assignment tools 

RNA structure calculation 

Signal Processing and Machine Learning  as applied to RNA NMR data

Deepak Koirala, Collaborative Development Awardee

3D structures and functions of viral RNAs

dkoirala@umbc.edu

Lab website

Fab-assisted RNA crystallography


Strategies of genome replication and translation in RNA viruses


Protein-RNA interactions


RNA structure-function relationship

Sebla Kutluay, PI

Regulation of HIV-1 replication by RNA binding proteins, NGS methodologies

kutluay@wustl.edu

Lab website  

HIV-1 integrase:RNA interactions

Selective genome packaging

Recognition of HIV-1 RNAs by cellular proteins

CLIP-seq, ribo-seq, RNA-seq and related NGS methodologies

Jan Marchant, PI

Nuclear export: RNA structure and protein interactions 

janm@umbc.edu


 Structural studies of HIV-1 nuclear export and packaging

   

RNA structure and dynamics by NMR

   

Biophysical characterization of RNA-protein interactions

   Development of NMR and computational methods for large RNAs

Melanie Ohi, PI

Cryo-EM analysis of dynamic complexes

 mohi@umich.edu

Lab website

Negative stain EM


Single particle Cryo-EM Analysis


Cryo-Electron Tomography


RNA-protein complexes


Biochemical purification of heterogenous complexes

Owen Pornillos, PI

Protein-RNA interactions, Crystallography, CryoEM

owp3a@eservices.virginia.edu

Lab website

reconstitution of protein-RNA complexes and assembly mechanisms

biochemical and biophysical characterization

structure determination by X-ray crystallography and cryoEM

Nathan Sherer, PI

HIV RNA post-transcriptional regulation and live cell imaging

nsherer@wisc.edu

Lab website

Roles for the 5’ leader in regulating HIV-1 RNA localization, translation, and genome packaging 

Studies of host RNA binding proteins regulating HIV-1 RNA stability and host detection 

Defining links between HIV-1 RNA nuclear history and cytoplasmic fate 

Differential detection of individual HIV-1 RNA species in cells using high resolution light microscopy and live cell imaging 

Identification of HIV-1 RNA-associated host factors using RNA capture coupled to mass spectrometry (HyPR-MS)

Janet Smith, PI

X-ray crystallography and protein production

janetsmith@umich.edu

Lab website


Methods for production of protein and RNA-protein complexes


Zn-finger antiviral protein


APOBEC3H restriction factor

Redmond Smyth, Collaborative Development Awardee

Structure and function of HIV-1 RNAs

r.smyth@ibmc-cnrs.unistra.fr

Lab website

RNA structure determination by chemical probing

HIV-1 packaging and translation

RNA structural switches

RNA-protein and RNA-RNA interactions

Jeanne Stuckey, PI

Protein Expression and Crystallization

jass@umich.edu

Lab website

Michael F. Summers, PI

NMR studies of HIV-1 genome packaging

summers@hhmi.umbc.edu

Lab website


RNA structure and dynamics


NMR methods


Nucleocapsid-RNA interactions


Gag assembly

Aussie Suzuki, Collaborative Development Awardee

Spatiotemporal dynamics of HIV RNA 

aussie.suzuki@wisc.edu 

Lab website


Utilizing super-resolution microscopy to enhance visualization and tracking of HIV RNA dynamics within host cells


HIV-1 RNA nuclear entry, nuclear exit, and packaging


HIV-1 entry and mitosis

Ronald Swanstrom, PI

HIV-1 Splicing Regulation

risunc@med.unc.edu

Lab website

Next gen sequencing assays for splicing quantification

Regulation of HIV-1 splicing

Mechanisms of splicing suppression

Screening small molecule inhibitors of splicing

Harry Taylor, Collaborative Development Awardee

TaylorHa@upstate.edu 

Lab website

Metabolic regulation of HIV-1 latency reversal

Post-transcriptional regulation of HIV-1 expression

Metabolite-mediated control of HIV-1 RNA splicing and translation

Alice Telesnitsky, PI

Quantitative Virology

ateles@umich.edu

Lab website

Viral molecular genetics in support of biophysical studies

Molecular biology support

Viral RNA quantification and characterization

Generation and analysis of viral mutants and their replication and biochemical properties

Blanton Tolbert, PI

Mechanisms of transcriptional control and splicing

bst18@case.edu

Lab website

RNA structure 

RNA binding protein conformational dynamics 

RNA-protein interactions 

RNA-small molecule interactions

Kevin Tsai, PI

Regulation of viral RNA metabolism by epitranscriptomic RNA modifications

kevtsai@ibms.sinica.edu.tw

Lab Website

Viral genomic RNA & mRNA modifications

RNA-induced innate immune responses

RNA metabolism

CLIP-seq-based RNA modification mapping

RNA-protein interaction probing through CLIP-seq

Jinwei Zhang, PI

Noncoding RNA Structure, Dynamics, and Recognition

jinwei.zhang@nih.gov

Lab Website

Co-transcriptional RNA folding, complex assembly, and native purification


Structural analyses of large noncoding and viral RNAs using X-ray Crystallography, Cryo-EM, and SAXS


Biophysical analyses of RNA-RNA and RNA-protein interactions


Modulation of innate immunity by structured viral and host RNAs