Creating new medicines to overcome antibiotic resistance

Computational de novo design of macrocyclic type I Signal Peptidase inhibitors

NIH-funded research University of Washington · NIH-11159826

This project aims to develop entirely new types of antibiotics to fight infections that are currently resistant to existing drugs.

Quick facts

Grant typeR21 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Washington NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Seattle, United States)
Project IDNIH-11159826 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

Antibiotic resistance is a growing global health concern, making many common infections difficult or impossible to treat. Current methods for finding new antibiotics haven't kept up with the pace of resistance. This project uses advanced computer modeling, artificial intelligence, and chemical synthesis to design new antibiotics from scratch. By targeting a crucial bacterial process, the goal is to create powerful new drugs that can work against a wide range of resistant bacteria.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Patients who could eventually benefit from this research are those with serious bacterial infections that are resistant to current antibiotic treatments.

Not a fit: Patients whose infections are easily treated with existing antibiotics may not directly benefit from this specific research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to the development of urgently needed new antibiotics for patients suffering from drug-resistant bacterial infections.

How similar studies have performed: Existing natural inhibitors of the target show limited activity, indicating a need for novel approaches like the computational design proposed here.

Where this research is happening

Seattle, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.