Funding

Discovery and development of novel anti-HCMV agents targeting the UL89 terminase protein
Grant Number: R01 AI136982-01            
Duration: 1/25/19-12/31/24
Funding Agency: NIH/NIAID
Type: Multiple PI R01
Principal Investigator(s): Zhengqiang Wang, PhD and Robert J. Geraghty, PhD
Direct costs for ZW:$190,000
Direct costs for RJG:$190,000
This grant is a target-based drug discovery approach to anti-HCMV agents targeting a viral endonuclease required for viral genome packaging.

Retinal Hyperspectral Imaging: A Tool for Early Detection of Alzheimer’s Disease
Duration: 01/01/2019-12/31/2020
​Funding Agency: Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics
​Role: Principal Investigator (Mayo PI: John J. Chen, Department of ophthalmology, Rochester)

Retinal Changes in Alzheimer’s Disease and Cerebral Amyloid Staging Correlations in Post-Mortem Retina and Brain Samples, Validation of a Promising Early Biomarker
​Duration: 01/01/19 - 12/31/19
​Funding Source: ​Winston and Maxine Wallin Neuroscience Discovery Fund
​Role: Principal Investigator (Co-I: William Robert Bell and Margaret Flanagan, Department of Lab Medicine and Pathology)

Discovery of a novel target for giardiasis
Grant Number: R21AI138061-01
Duration: 05/01/2018-04/30/2020
Funding Agency: NIH-NIAID
Type: Multiple-PI R21
Investigator(s): Steven E Patterson, PhD and Siddhartha Das, PhD
Direct costs for each PI: $137,500
The goal of this project is discovery and optimization of a novel small molecule drug candidate for treatment of giardiasis.

Development of biological and structural approaches to Zika virus drug discovery
Duration: 9/1/16 – 8/31/18
Funding Agency: University of Minnesota - AHC Faculty Research Development Grant Program
Principal Investigator(s): Robert J. Geraghty, PhD
Direct costs for RJG: $80,000
This grant funds development of biochemical and cell-based assays for Zika virus drug discovery. It also funds structural studies on the Zika virus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and screening for viral polymerase inhibitors.

Taking Aim at HBV Eradication Using Novel NRTIs and Capsid Effectors
Grant Number: 5R01AI121315
Duration: 06/14/2016-06/13/2021
Funding Agency: NIAID/National Institute of Health
Type: Multiple PI R01
Principal Investigator(s): Stefan Sarafianos,PhD and Zhengqiang Wang,PhD
Direct cost for ZW: $160,000 / Year
The goal of this grant is to characterize the structural determinants of HIV capsid (CA) core stability, to unravel structural interactions of CA with host factors and to discover CA-targeting antivirals

Structural studies of HIV Capsid with host factors and Capsid-targeting antivirals
Grant Number: 5R01AI120860
Duration: 06/15/2015—05/31/2020
Funding Agency: NIH/NIAID
Type: Multiple PI R01
Principal Investigator(s): Stefan Sarafianos, PhD and Zhengqiang Wang,PhD
Direct cost for ZW: $100,000 / Year
The goal of this grant is to discover and characterize potent capsid effectors and study their antiviral effect in combination with NRTIs

New therapeutic strategies for combating biofilm associated pathogens
Duration: 10/2014-10/2016
Funding Agency: Center for Drug Design, UMN
Investigator(s):  Christine Salomon, PhD (PI)

Identification of Small Molecule Inhibitors of Viral Endonucleases
7/1/14 – 6/30/17
Center For Drug Design
Research Development and Seed Grant
Role: PI Robert Geraghty, PhD; Co-Investigator Z. Wang

Novel Antivirals Targeting the RNase H Activity of HIV Reverse Transcriptase
Grant Number: 1R01AI100890
Duration: 07/01/2012—06/30/2017
Funding Agency: NIH/NIAID
Type: Multiple PI R01
Principal Investigator(s): Stefan Sarafianos, PhD; Zhengqiang Wang, PhD
Direct cost for ZW: $148,000 / year

The goal of this grant is to identify and optimize selective inhibitors of HIV RNase H and study detailed biochemistry of different modes of RNase H activities as well as inhibitor binding sites, and eventually validate RNase H as an antiviral target for HIV chemotherapy.