How bacteria grab and use iron and how human proteins add arginine to other proteins
Official title: Deciphering the Mechanisms of Pathogenic Ferrous Iron Acquisition and Eukaryotic Post-Translational Arginylation
Funded at University of Maryland Baltimore County · NIH-11553477 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A research project aims to understand how bacteria acquire iron and how a human-like protein modification process works, with potential implications for fighting infections and disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Maryland Baltimore County NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2019 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $78,104 |
| NIH project number | 3R35GM133497-08S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11553477 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable in the current form; research focuses on bacterial systems and basic human protein modification mechanisms.
✕Less likely to help
This grant does not recruit patients or test therapies in people.
What this research studies
This project studies two key biological systems: how bacteria generate, capture, and sense ferrous iron to support infection, and how a human-like post-translational arginylation process modifies proteins. Researchers will use structural, spectroscopic, and biochemical methods to map the mechanisms in vitro and test them in living systems. The findings could reveal new targets to reduce bacterial virulence and inform our understanding of disease-related protein regulation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to new ways to prevent or treat bacterial infections and deepen our grasp of mechanisms involved in certain human diseases.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has begun to reveal mechanistic details, suggesting a promising path forward but remains exploratory.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Maryland Baltimore County
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Smith, Aaron T — University of Maryland Baltimore County
- Study coordinator: Smith, Aaron T
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.