Scripps Research scientist Daniel Murin receives Katz Early Stage Investigator Award
The award supports an innovative project that represents an exciting change in research direction for an early stage investigator
November 18, 2021
LA JOLLA, CA— Scripps Research staff scientist Daniel Murin, PhD, has been named a recipient of the Stephen I. Katz Early Stage Investigator Research Project Grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Murin is the very first recipient of this award in the United States since the opportunity was announced in January 2021.
The highly regarded R01 grant, which will provide $1.25 million in funding over five years, will support Murin’s research studying how antibodies enable Natural Killer (NK) cells of our innate immune system to target HIV, for which the precise mechanisms remain unclear. The knowledge attained will form guiding principles to engineer HIV antibody therapeutics and vaccines aimed at eliciting more potent immune responses.
“This award is a turn in the tide for young investigators and a sign that the NIH is following through with many of the initiatives that they began in previous years,” says Murin. “I am proud to be able to share this award with Scripps Research and continue to be part of the growing, world-class research environment here.”
Based in the laboratory of Andrew Ward, PhD, in the Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, Murin’s researches the use of cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to decipher the molecular nature of broadly neutralizing antibodies, a much sought-after type of antibody that can neutralize multiple HIV strains.
For his new research direction, Murin will investigate how antibodies influence NK cell activation at the immune synapse, the space between an effector cell and virally infected target cell. To do this, Murin will use the newly developed MINFLUX microscope, a super resolution light microscope housed in Scripps Research’s core microscopy suite and the first one to be installed in the nation. By tracking single molecules at sub-millisecond timescales in live cells, Murin will gain new insights into cellular immunity, offering a rational basis for designing improved immunotherapies for HIV, as well as other viruses and diseases.
“It is tremendous that the NIH is recognizing and supporting innovative and highly creative young scientists like Daniel early in their careers with this prestigious new award,” says Ian Wilson, DPhil, Chair of the Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology.
The award is named after Dr. Stephen I. Katz, director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases from 1995 until his death in 2018. In addition to being an outstanding scientist and civil servant, Katz is remembered for his strong commitment to mentorship. Honoring Katz’s passion for motivating scientists to think outside of the box, this award is intended to provide a unique opportunity for early stage investigators to take their research down a completely new path, thereby stimulating innovation and encouraging new approaches to solving problems.
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