Animal Model and Microbiology Core: advancing drug candidates against resistant bacteria
Official title: Animal Model and Microbiology Core
Funded at Hackensack University Medical Center · NIH-11372883 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A core facility at Hackensack University Medical Center helps scientists quickly test new anti-bacterial drugs using real patient-style bacterial strains and animal infection models.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Hackensack University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Hackensack, United States) |
| Project start | June 20, 2025 |
| Project end | May 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $682,010 |
| NIH project number | 5U19AI189168-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11372883 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Researchers and clinicians developing new antibiotics or therapies against resistant bacteria may utilize the core; patients are not directly enrolled in this core.
✕Less likely to help
Patients will not be enrolled in this core; benefits are indirect through accelerated preclinical development of treatments.
What this research studies
This grant funds a centralized service that provides ethically approved animal infection models (mice, rats, hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits) and lab assays to study drug effects against resistant bacteria. It includes a collection of drug-resistant clinical isolates and advanced analyses that measure how well compounds work in living systems and how the body responds. Researchers submit lead compounds and receive standardized testing, bio-burden measurements, and host-response data to guide preclinical decisions. The core operates in an AAALAC-accredited facility with biosafety capabilities to study BSL2 pathogens and supports multiple infection types (systemic, soft tissue, pulmonary, cardiac).
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from faster development of effective countermeasures against drug-resistant infections.
How similar studies have gone: Similar cores and infection models have accelerated preclinical evaluation of antibiotics in prior programs, supporting the validity of this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Hackensack University Medical Center
Hackensack, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nelson, Andrew — Hackensack University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Nelson, Andrew
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.