Awarded in 2025
Home Department: Biophysics
Faculty Advisors: Joseph Puglisi (Structural Biology), Daniel Herschlag (Biochemistry), and Elisabetta Viani Puglisi (Structural Biology)

Research Title: Mechanistic Role of Highly Structured 5’ UTR RNA in Translation Initiation

HIV-1 RNA contains a highly structured region at the start of its genome, known as the 5’ untranslated region (5’ UTR), but how this structure affects the beginning of protein synthesis is not well understood. Crystal is combining single-molecule measurements with cryogenic electron microscopy to develop a mechanistic and structural model of HIV-1 translation initiation. Understanding the regulatory steps governing translation, the process that dictates protein expression and thereby drives cellular activity, is essential for understanding nearly all biological processes. Crystal’s work will help reveal the foundational mechanisms by which structured 5’ UTRs, such as those found in other viral systems, regulate protein synthesis. These insights could lead to new therapeutic strategies targeting viral translation, a process not currently addressed by existing HIV-1 drugs.