Structural Fingerprinting of Oligonucleotide Therapeutics
This grant aims to develop strong NMR-based methods for detailed structural analysis of oligonucleotide drugs, including stability and delivery system impacts.
This grant is no longer accepting proposals
NRC Research Associateship Programs has archived this opportunity.
Funder: NRC Research Associateship Programs
Due Dates: February 1, 2025 | May 1, 2025 | August 1, 2025 | November 1, 2025
Funding Amounts: Stipend approximately $82,764 per year plus $3,000 travel allowance; typical appointment duration 2 years.
Summary: Supports postdoctoral research to develop robust NMR-based structural characterization methods for oligonucleotide therapeutics, including stability and delivery system effects.
Key Information: Open to U.S. citizens with a doctoral degree earned within the last 5 years; research conducted on-site at NIST in Gaithersburg, MD.
Description
This fellowship opportunity supports research focused on advancing structural characterization methods for oligonucleotide therapeutics—small oligonucleotides such as antisense, siRNA, and aptamers that hold promise for treating diseases. Despite recent clinical successes due to chemical modifications and improved delivery systems, there remains a lack of rigorous experimental strategies for structural analysis that meet drug development and quality assurance standards.
The research aims to develop robust, high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy approaches tailored for oligonucleotide drugs. While NMR is well-established for protein therapeutics, its application to oligonucleotides requires further development. The project includes atomic-level analysis of molecular stability under forced degradation conditions and the use of chemometric methods to evaluate structural fingerprints. Additionally, the impact of delivery systems such as lipid nanoparticles and GalNac conjugates on oligonucleotide structure will be investigated.
The fellowship is hosted by the Material Measurement Laboratory, Biomolecular Measurement Division at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, MD.
