{ "id": "epgq60hcta", "slug": "a-epgq60hcta", "title": "А.A. Коростелев", "updated": "2026-10-15", "topic_path": [ { "id": "life", "label": "Life and health", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/life" }, { "id": "life.scientists", "label": "Life and health scientists", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/life.scientists" }, { "id": "life.scientists.life-sciences", "label": "Life scientists", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/life.scientists.life-sciences" }, { "id": "life.scientists.life-sciences.bio-struct", "label": "Researchers in structural biology, biochemistry, and biophysics", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/life.scientists.life-sciences.bio-struct" }, { "id": "life.scientists.life-sciences.bio-struct.translation-and-ribosome-structure", "label": "Translation and ribosome structure", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/life.scientists.life-sciences.bio-struct.translation-and-ribosome-structure" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.us.t2001.life.scientists.life-sciences.bio-struct", "label": "United States · 2001 to 2020: Researchers in structural biology, biochemistry, and biophysics", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.life.scientists.life-sciences.bio-struct", "path": [ { "id": "geo.us", "label": "United States", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001", "label": "United States · 2001 to 2020", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.life", "label": "Life and health", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.life" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.life.scientists", "label": "Life and health scientists", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.life.scientists" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.life.scientists.life-sciences", "label": "Life scientists", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.life.scientists.life-sciences" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.life.scientists.life-sciences.bio-struct", "label": "Researchers in structural biology, biochemistry, and biophysics", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.life.scientists.life-sciences.bio-struct" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Andrei A. Korostelev is a Russian-born structural biologist who studies the ribosome and translation fidelity as a professor at UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester, Massachusetts.", "snippet": "Andrei A. Korostelev is a Russian-born structural biologist who studies the ribosome and translation fidelity as a professor at UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester, Massachusetts.", "node": "life.scientists.life-sciences.bio-struct.translation-and-ribosome-structure", "markdown": "# А.A. Коростелев\n\n**Andrei A. Korostelev** (Андрей А. Коростелев) is a structural biologist who studies the ribosome, the molecular machine that translates mRNA into protein. He is a Professor in the RNA Therapeutics Institute at [UMass Chan Medical School](https://www.edgepedia.org/umass-chan-medical-school) in [Worcester, Massachusetts](https://www.edgepedia.org/worcester-massachusetts), and, according to his ORCID record, is known for structural work on translation fidelity, termination, and stress responses.[1](https://profiles.umassmed.edu/display/130199) • [2](https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1588-717X) \n\n| Fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Current position | Professor, RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA[1](https://profiles.umassmed.edu/display/130199) |\n| Field | Ribosome structural biology; translation fidelity and termination |\n| Ph.D. | Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, 1998–2003, with Michael S. Chapman[2](https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1588-717X) |\n| Signature work | Crystal structure of a 70S ribosome–tRNA complex (Cell, 2006); time-resolved cryo-EM of EF-Tu•GTP and tRNA proofreading (Nature, 2020); angiogenin activation by the ribosome (Nature, 2024)[1](https://profiles.umassmed.edu/display/130199) • [3](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7483604/) • [4](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07508-8) |\n| Major honors | Earl and Thressa Stadtman Scholar Award (ASBMB, 2018); RNA Society Early Career Award (2018)[5](https://www.asbmb.org/asbmb-today/people/040118/korostelev-wins-asbmb-stadtman-scholar-award) |\n| Principal funding | NIH R35GM127094 \"Translational Control: Discovery and Mechanisms\", $3,226,555, 2018–2028[6](https://www.umassmed.edu/link/05ab05cd25234d15ae4f90f835e3b2fa.aspx) |\n\n## Education and career\n\nAccording to his CV, Korostelev earned B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees summa cum laude in Chemistry at [Moscow State University](https://www.edgepedia.org/moscow-state-university) (1992–1997), with a thesis on penicillin acylase binding sites advised by Professor Vitas Švedas.[6](https://www.umassmed.edu/link/05ab05cd25234d15ae4f90f835e3b2fa.aspx) He then moved to the United States for doctoral study, receiving a Ph.D. in Chemistry and [Biochemistry](https://www.edgepedia.org/biochemistry) from [Florida State University](https://www.edgepedia.org/florida-state-university) (1998–2003) with the thesis \"Improving the methods of macromolecular structure determination\" under Professor Michael S. Chapman.[6](https://www.umassmed.edu/link/05ab05cd25234d15ae4f90f835e3b2fa.aspx) • [2](https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1588-717X) In Chapman's lab he developed computational methods for analyzing X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM images that became pivotal for high-resolution atomic models of ribosomes.[5](https://www.asbmb.org/asbmb-today/people/040118/korostelev-wins-asbmb-stadtman-scholar-award)\n\nHe completed postdoctoral research with Michael Chapman at Florida State (2003–2004) and then with [Harry F. Noller](https://www.edgepedia.org/harry-f-noller) in MCD Biology at the [University of California, Santa Cruz](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-california-santa-cruz) (2004–2010).[6](https://www.umassmed.edu/link/05ab05cd25234d15ae4f90f835e3b2fa.aspx) • [2](https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1588-717X) With Noller he produced high-resolution crystallographic structures that altered understanding of translation termination.[5](https://www.asbmb.org/asbmb-today/people/040118/korostelev-wins-asbmb-stadtman-scholar-award)\n\nHe joined the UMass faculty in 2010 as Assistant Professor (2010–2015), was promoted to Associate Professor (2015–2021), and has been Professor in the RNA Therapeutics Institute since 2021.[6](https://www.umassmed.edu/link/05ab05cd25234d15ae4f90f835e3b2fa.aspx)\n\n## Representative work\n\nHis 2006 Cell paper, published with Noller's group, reported the crystal structure of a 70S ribosome–tRNA complex, revealing functional interactions and rearrangements between the ribosome and its tRNA substrates; it appeared in Cell 126(6):1065–1077 (PMID 16962654).[1](https://profiles.umassmed.edu/display/130199)\n\nA 2017 Nature study used ensemble single-particle cryo-EM with improved FREALIGN classification to visualize binding of cognate and near-cognate tRNA ternary complexes to 70S ribosomes, presenting high-resolution structural ensembles that elucidated the mechanism of translation fidelity.[7](https://europepmc.org/backend/ptpmcrender.fcgi?accid=PMC5657493&blobtype=pdf)\n\nHis 2020 Nature paper used time-resolved cryo-EM to reveal 33 structural states following aminoacyl-tRNA delivery by EF-Tu•GTP. Instead of locking cognate tRNA upon initial recognition, the ribosomal decoding center dynamically monitors codon-anticodon interactions both before and after GTP hydrolysis. After GTP hydrolysis, the 30S subunit locks cognate tRNA and rotates, enabling accommodation into the peptidyl transferase center, whereas near-cognate tRNA fails to be locked and dissociates during both initial selection and proofreading.[3](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7483604/)\n\nHis 2024 Nature paper showed that the cytosolic 80S ribosome is the activator of the RNase angiogenin. Ribosome binding stabilizes angiogenin's C-terminal tail in a catalytically active RNase-A-like conformation, making the enzyme several orders of magnitude more efficient in tRNA cleavage; angiogenin is activated by ribosomes with a vacant A site, whose abundance increases during cellular stress. The disease-associated mutation K54E disrupts ribosome binding and activation.[4](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07508-8)\n\n## Research program and methods\n\nThe lab's stated focus is accuracy of translation, the ribosome as a cellular stress sensor, and dysregulated translation in disease, using ensemble and time-resolved cryo-EM alongside [X-ray crystallography](https://www.edgepedia.org/x-ray-crystallography) and biochemistry.[2](https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1588-717X) • [1](https://profiles.umassmed.edu/display/130199) It studies how ribosomes interact with disease-related molecules such as viral mRNA and peptides involved in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia.[2](https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1588-717X) [Translation](https://www.edgepedia.org/translation) accuracy is biologically significant: decoding errors run only 10⁻³ to 10⁻⁵ per codon, achieved through two-step tRNA selection involving initial decoding and kinetic proofreading.[8](https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-biochem-071921-122857)\n\nSince 2014 he has co-founded and co-chaired the advisory board of the Massachusetts High-Resolution Cryo-EM facility at UMass Medical School, equipped with Titan Krios and Talos Arctica microscopes.[6](https://www.umassmed.edu/link/05ab05cd25234d15ae4f90f835e3b2fa.aspx)\n\n## Funding, honors and collaborations\n\nHis laboratory is supported by NIH R35GM127094 \"Translational Control: Discovery and Mechanisms\" ($3,226,555, 50% PI effort, 2018–2028), R01GM107465 on translation termination ($1,289,752, 2015–2018), and R01GM106105 on stress responses mediated by stalled translation ($1,589,192, 2013–2018).[6](https://www.umassmed.edu/link/05ab05cd25234d15ae4f90f835e3b2fa.aspx)\n\nDisease-directed awards include an NIH/NIMH R21 MH134127 on FMRP and Fragile X Syndrome (about $180,000, 2023–2025) and an NIH/NIA R21 AG084170 on C9ORF72-associated frontotemporal dementia and ALS (about $220,000, 2023–2025), plus a [Simons Foundation](https://www.edgepedia.org/simons-foundation) award (January 2025, about $50,000) for analysis of FMRP-ribosome interactions and a UMass Chan BRIDGE Fund grant (about $220,000 direct, 2023–2025) on mRNA-specific readthrough of nonsense codons, according to Korostelev's curriculum vitae.[6](https://www.umassmed.edu/link/05ab05cd25234d15ae4f90f835e3b2fa.aspx) Earlier work on premature termination in cystic fibrosis was funded by a Cystic Fibrosis Foundation award (about $277,000, 2020–2023), and a 2019 sponsored research agreement with PTC Therapeutics (about $110,000) studied mechanisms of stop-codon read-through compounds including ataluren.[6](https://www.umassmed.edu/link/05ab05cd25234d15ae4f90f835e3b2fa.aspx) NSF award #1817338, \"Structure and mechanism of an exceptionally powerful molecular motor\", was made to the University of Massachusetts Medical School, amended through July 2021.[9](https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1817338&HistoricalAwards=false)\n\nIn 2018 he received the Earl and Thressa Stadtman Scholar Award from ASBMB and the RNA Society Early Career Award, and was an HHMI Investigator Program finalist.[5](https://www.asbmb.org/asbmb-today/people/040118/korostelev-wins-asbmb-stadtman-scholar-award) • [6](https://www.umassmed.edu/link/05ab05cd25234d15ae4f90f835e3b2fa.aspx) Earlier honors include a Soros Academic Fellowship (1994–1995) and the I.V. Berezin Young Scientist Award (1996–1997).[1](https://profiles.umassmed.edu/display/130199) He served on the NIH NIGMS review panel MSFC (2015–2019, 2024) and chaired the RNA Society Nominating Committee (2019–2021).[6](https://www.umassmed.edu/link/05ab05cd25234d15ae4f90f835e3b2fa.aspx)\n\n## Recent developments\n\nThe 2024 angiogenin mechanism paper established the ribosome as the enzyme's activator and tied the disease-linked K54E mutation to failed ribosome binding.[4](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07508-8) [Publication](https://www.edgepedia.org/publication) output has remained high, with 6 papers in 2020, 6 in 2024, 8 in 2025, and 4 in 2026 listed on his profile.[1](https://profiles.umassmed.edu/display/130199) According to Korostelev's CV, the Fragile X, C9ORF72, Simons, and BRIDGE awards all run through 2025, extending the lab's reach into neurodegeneration and fragile-X-linked translation defects.[6](https://www.umassmed.edu/link/05ab05cd25234d15ae4f90f835e3b2fa.aspx) \n\n## References\n\n1. Andrei A Korostelev PhD, UMass Profiles faculty profile. https://profiles.umassmed.edu/display/130199\n2. Andrei Korostelev (0000-0003-1588-717X), ORCID record. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1588-717X\n3. Cryo-EM of elongating ribosome with EF-Tu•GTP elucidates tRNA proofreading (Nature, 2020). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7483604/\n4. Structural mechanism of angiogenin activation by the ribosome (Nature, 2024). https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07508-8\n5. Korostelev receives Earl and Thressa Stadtman Young Scholar Award (ASBMB Today, 2018). https://www.asbmb.org/asbmb-today/people/040118/korostelev-wins-asbmb-stadtman-scholar-award\n6. Andrei A. Korostelev, Ph.D., CV (January 2025), RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School. https://www.umassmed.edu/link/05ab05cd25234d15ae4f90f835e3b2fa.aspx\n7. Ensemble cryo-EM elucidates the mechanism of translation fidelity (Nature, 2017). https://europepmc.org/backend/ptpmcrender.fcgi?accid=PMC5657493&blobtype=pdf\n8. The Structural Dynamics of Translation (Annual Review of Biochemistry). https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-biochem-071921-122857\n9. NSF Award #1817338. https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1817338&HistoricalAwards=false\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Life and health › Life and health scientists › Life scientists › Researchers in structural biology, biochemistry, and biophysics › Translation and ribosome structure*\n\n*Initially written Sep 21, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 25, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Sep 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [ "https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1588-717X" ], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/a-epgq60hcta", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/a-epgq60hcta.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"А.A. Коростелев\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/a-epgq60hcta. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[А.A. Коростелев](https://www.edgepedia.org/a-epgq60hcta)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/a-epgq60hcta](https://www.edgepedia.org/a-epgq60hcta). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"А.A. Коростелев\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/a-epgq60hcta. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Andrei A. Korostelev is a Russian-born structural biologist who studies the ribosome and translation fidelity as a professor at UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester, Massachusetts." }