The Open Philanthropy Project awarded a grant of $49,500 to Duke University to support work on the co-crystallization of Hsp70i and the inhibitor HS-72. According to our science advisors, determining the molecular structure of the human Hsp70i protein may help optimize a class of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs that are active against diseases such as dengue. This grant falls within Open Philanthropy's work on scientific research.
The work will be led by Dr. Timothy Haystead, Professor of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology at the Duke University School of Medicine. Funding from this grant will allow Dr. Haystead to pay a specialized company to determine the molecular structure of Hsp70i in a complex with HS-72, and to hire a summer intern to support his antiviral and inhibitor work.
Update: In May 2018, Open Philanthropy added $32,000 to the original award amount for additional work on the project. The “grant amount” above has been updated to reflect this.