Designing new antibiotics to combat antibiotic resistance
Official title: Computational de novo design of macrocyclic type I Signal Peptidase inhibitors
Funded at University of Washington · NIH-10889835 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is working on creating new antibiotics to help fight stubborn infections that don't respond to current treatments, using smart computer techniques to target a key part of bacteria that helps them survive.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Washington NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $223,198 |
| NIH project number | 1R21AI178088-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-10889835 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are patients suffering from infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with infections that are already effectively treated by existing antibiotics may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing new antibiotics to address the growing problem of antibiotic resistance. By using advanced computational methods, including deep learning and high-throughput chemical synthesis, the team aims to create inhibitors targeting a specific bacterial enzyme called type I signal peptidase. This enzyme is crucial for the proper functioning of many bacteria, and the research will explore how to design effective inhibitors that can work against a broad range of bacterial strains. Patients may benefit from new antibiotic treatments that are effective against resistant infections.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to the development of new antibiotics that are effective against antibiotic-resistant infections.
How similar studies have gone: Other research has shown promise in using computational methods to design new antibiotics, indicating that this approach has potential for success.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Washington
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bhardwaj, Gaurav — University of Washington
- Study coordinator: Bhardwaj, Gaurav
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.