Foundational work on how bacterial surface sugars affect interactions
Official title: Foundational Investigations into Bacterial Surface Glycan Dynamics
Funded at Northeastern University · NIH-11384394 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Scientists are studying how the sugars on the surface of bacteria help them communicate and invade cells, with new computational tools to map these sugars and their interactions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northeastern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $390,400 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM155340-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11384394 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with infections caused by the bacteria studied or patients contributing samples for glycan analysis or validation studies.
✕Less likely to help
People not involved in bacterial infection research or not contributing patient samples may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project builds computational models to understand bacterial surface glycans and how they interact with host systems. It will create an online library of bacterial surface glycans and develop design rules for how glycan-collectin interactions occur. The work aims to enable researchers to design interventions or therapies that can prevent bacterial invasion. The effort will combine in silico methods with experimental collaborators to advance glycobiology research and potentially guide new treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could lead to new ways to block bacterial invasion and inspire therapies that target bacterial surface sugars.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary computational approaches have shown promise in modeling glycan interactions, but this project advances a more comprehensive, public resource and design framework.
Where this research is happening
-
Northeastern University
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Minkara, Mona — Northeastern University
- Study coordinator: Minkara, Mona
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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.