How bacteria build their protective shell and how this happens in time
Official title: Spatiotemporal regulation of bacterial cell envelope assembly
Funded at University of South Florida · NIH-11396539 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study in friendly terms that looks at how bacteria assemble their cell envelopes in a coordinated way during growth, using new microscopy to understand where surface proteins go to the cell wall.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of South Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tampa, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $363,273 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM146993-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11396539 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to patient participation in this project.
✕Less likely to help
This basic science project does not involve patient participation.
What this research studies
This project investigates how Gram-positive bacteria place surface proteins onto their cell envelope as they divide. By using a new microscopy method in Staphylococcus aureus, the researchers examine the role of the sortase A enzyme and the cross-wall region in attaching proteins to the wall. They also explore how lipoteichoic acid and teichoic acid modifications regulate different steps of envelope assembly. The work aims to reveal the timing and control of protein incorporation during cell division to better understand bacterial biology. Findings could inform future strategies to target bacterial infections by disrupting envelope formation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Better understanding of bacterial cell envelopes could lead to new ways to prevent or treat infections.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown that envelope assembly is tightly linked to division, but this project provides new mechanistic insight with advanced imaging.
Where this research is happening
-
University of South Florida
Tampa, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yu, Wenqi — University of South Florida
- Study coordinator: Yu, Wenqi
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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.