Elucidating the structural adaptation of HIV-1 capsids during critical host-factor interactions

Summary

Research to understand how HIV-1 capsids structurally adapt and remodel during nuclear entry and host-factor interactions, particularly with CPSF6, to facilitate viral integration.

What they want

The project aims to elucidate the structural adaptation mechanisms of HIV-1 capsids during critical host-factor interactions, specifically focusing on the role of CPSF6. AIM-1 will resolve how CPSF6 influences HIV-1 capsid morphology in vitro using affinity captured virus particles, correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM), and cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) to reconstruct CPSF6-bound capsid structure and test morphological adaptations. AIM-2 will extend these findings to infected cells using live-cell imaging, CLEM-guided cryo-focused ion beam milling (FIB), and cryo-ET to capture capsid structures at multiple stages of entry, from the cytoplasm, through nuclear pore complexes (NPCs), and into the nucleus near integration sites.

Deliverables

Reconstructed CPSF6-bound capsid structures
Structural mapping of capsid adaptation
Insights into therapeutic development
Identification of vulnerable stages in the viral life cycle

Technical requirements

Affinity captured virus particles
Correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM)
Cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET)
Live-cell imaging
Cryo-focused ion beam milling (FIB)
Advanced structural image processing

Market context

inferred from NAICS

Professional, Scientific & Technical Services

NAICS 541714

US market size: $2.0T
Typical award: $25K – $50M

Typical buyers

All federal civilianDoDStates

Commonly required

8(a)WOSBSDVOSBPE/PMP

Sector-level estimate — full code lookup not yet in catalog.