Acanthamoeba as a modern model parasite to study infectious disease biology and mitochondria
Official title: Establishing Acanthamoeba as a modern model parasite for infectious disease biology and comparative metabolism by defining mitochondrial proteins and pathways
Funded at Morgridge Institute for Research, INC. · NIH-11579896 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A five-year project will define the mitochondrial proteins and pathways of Acanthamoeba castellanii to advance infectious disease biology and parasite metabolism.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Morgridge Institute for Research, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project start | August 8, 2025 |
| Project end | July 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $179,140 |
| NIH project number | 7K08AI193194-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11579896 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable for this grant as described (focus is on a basic science model organism; patient-facing recruitment is not part of the project).
✕Less likely to help
No direct patient enrollment is described in the grant as written.
What this research studies
This program pairs advanced biochemistry with parasite biology to create a new model organism for studying how mitochondria work in infections. Led by Dr. Jonathan Stefely and mentored by Dr. Vamsi Mootha, the work will map mitochondrial proteins and their roles in parasite metabolism. The plan combines career development with rigorous laboratory research in collaboration with local parasitology experts. The project aims to uncover mitochondrial features that differ from humans, highlighting potential drug targets. The goal is to build foundational knowledge that could guide future therapies against parasitic infections.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal unique mitochondrial processes in Acanthamoeba that become targets for new treatments against dangerous infections.
How similar studies have gone: Parasitic mitochondria are a recognized area of study, but this project applies modern techniques to a less-studied parasite model, representing a novel but grounded approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Morgridge Institute for Research, INC.
Madison, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Stefely, Jonathan Allan — Morgridge Institute for Research, INC.
- Study coordinator: Stefely, Jonathan Allan
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Latin American Center for Emerging Infectious Disease Surveillance and Readiness
A regional collaboration in Peru and neighboring countries aims to strengthen early warning and monitoring for viruses that could jump from animals to people, helping communities prepare for outbreaks.
-
Center in Latin America to monitor emerging infectious diseases
A U01 grant supporting a collaboration between Peruvian and U.S. researchers to improve early detection and surveillance of regionally relevant viruses that could affect people, animals, and crops in Peru and neighboring areas.
-
IDEAL project helps predict vaccine response, infections, and asthma in early childhood
A Child-focused program will collect and share saliva, blood, and tissue samples from diverse infants to find biological patterns that predict how vaccines work, how respiratory infections occur, and who develops asthma.
-
Understanding how early-life immune development affects vaccine responses and asthma risk in children
This project uses lab-grown human immune cells from infants and young children to explore why some kids respond poorly to vaccines and are more prone to respiratory infections and asthma.
-
Multi-omic endotypes of vaccine response, respiratory infections, and asthma in children
A parent-friendly look at how early-life immune development shapes how kids respond to vaccines and stay free from lung infections and asthma, using advanced biological profiling.
-
IDEAL: How early-life immune development shapes vaccine responses and asthma risk
A child-focused project that looks at how the developing immune system in early life affects vaccine responses, respiratory infections, and asthma.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.