How Acinetobacter and other Gram-negative bugs become resistant to antibiotics
Comparative resistomics of Gram-negative bacterial pathogens
This project looks at how common Gram-negative germs change to survive antibiotics so future treatments and tests can work better for people with these infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11251311 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's view, scientists will grow strains of Gram-negative bacteria in a controlled device that keeps antibiotic pressure on the bugs and watch how they adapt over time. They will sequence the bacteria's DNA very deeply at many time points to spot which mutations appear and spread. By comparing different species and strains, the team aims to find patterns that are shared across pathogens and those that are strain-specific. The work is lab-based and focuses on mapping resistance pathways rather than testing treatments in people.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with drug-resistant Gram-negative infections (for example Acinetobacter baumannii) whose doctors can provide bacterial isolates for research would be most relevant to this line of work.
Not a fit: People without Gram-negative bacterial infections or those with viral, fungal, or non-resistant bacterial infections would not directly benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal common resistance paths that help design better antibiotics and faster diagnostic tests for resistant infections.
How similar studies have performed: Previous morbidostat and experimental evolution studies (including work on ciprofloxacin resistance) have identified resistance mutations, showing this approach can reveal meaningful genetic pathways though clinical translation remains gradual.
Where this research is happening
La Jolla, United States
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute — La Jolla, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Osterman, Andrei L — Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute
- Study coordinator: Osterman, Andrei L
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 below.