How ABC Transporters Move Substances Using ATP
Official title: Protein sequence influence on single-molecule transport dynamics
Funded at Columbia Univ New York Morningside · NIH-11397513 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project studies how ABC transporters move molecules through cell membranes using ATP to power the process.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia Univ New York Morningside NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $323,941 |
| NIH project number | 5R01GM155677-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11397513 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to patients in this basic mechanistic study.
✕Less likely to help
No direct patient participation is expected.
What this research studies
Researchers will use a real-time single-molecule technique to watch how an ABC transporter moves a substrate through a membrane, revealing the exact steps and timing of each motion. The work focuses on a bacterial transporter reconstituted in a controlled system to capture fleeting high-energy states that standard methods miss. Findings could clarify how energy from ATP drives transport and unlock ways to influence these machines in medicine. Results may inform future therapies targeting drug transport and resistance mechanisms.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: A deeper understanding of how ATP-powered transporters work could lead to new strategies for treating diseases where transporter function is important, and may influence drug design and delivery.
How similar studies have gone: Similar smFRET approaches have successfully revealed dynamic steps in molecular machines, with this work pushing insights into transporter mechanisms further.
Where this research is happening
-
Columbia Univ New York Morningside
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hunt, John Francis — Columbia Univ New York Morningside
- Study coordinator: Hunt, John Francis
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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.