Characterizing novel beta-lactamases from environmental samples to understand antimicrobial resistance
Official title: Characterizing novel Beta-lactamases from metagenomic samples: insights into the evolution of antimicrobial resistance from the environment towards human-associated pathogens
Funded at Ubatec S.a. · NIH-11398099 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Scientists are studying new beta-lactamase enzymes found in soils farther from clinics to learn how resistance to antibiotics evolves and could reach human pathogens.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ubatec S.a. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina) |
| Project start | September 21, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $119,871 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI160371-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11398099 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to patient participation; the study uses environmental samples and laboratory analyses.
✕Less likely to help
Direct patient participation is not involved in this environmental study.
What this research studies
This grant investigates environmental beta-lactamases by analyzing their structure, biochemical properties, and evolution using samples from Alaska and extrapolating to Antarctica. The work combines functional metagenomics with collaboration between a U.S. lab and a foreign partner to study enzymes that may contribute to antibiotic resistance in humans. Researchers will characterize enzymes in the lab, study their evolution, and relate findings to how resistance could mobilize into clinical settings. The project aims to illuminate origins of clinically relevant resistance and inform future surveillance and drug-design efforts.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Better understanding of how resistance genes originate and move toward human pathogens could guide more effective antibiotic stewardship and development of inhibitors.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows that environmental reservoirs can reveal ancestral resistance determinants that inform clinical risk, with successful integration of environmental and clinical insights in AMR research.
Where this research is happening
-
Ubatec S.a.
Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Power, Pablo — Ubatec S.a.
- Study coordinator: Power, Pablo
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Soil bacteria that can destroy powerful antibiotics (carbapenem enzymes)
This project looks for and describes enzymes in soil bacteria that can destroy powerful antibiotics so clinicians can get earlier warnings about emerging drug resistance.
-
Understanding how antibiotic resistance evolves from environmental bacteria
This study is looking at how some bacteria in the environment become resistant to strong antibiotics, which could help us find better ways to treat infections that don't respond to current medicines, and it's especially important for people who might face these tough infections.
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.