How bacteria respond to toxic copper and zinc
Admin Supplement for Elucidating the Orchestrated Bacterial Response to Copper and Zinc Toxicity
This work looks at how disease-causing bacteria handle toxic levels of copper and zinc to help guide better ways to treat infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Arizona NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tucson, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11405276 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will study disease-causing bacteria in the lab to see how they respond when exposed to different amounts of copper and zinc. They will use molecular tools to measure which bacterial genes and proteins change, how metals bind to proteins, and how mismetallation harms bacterial function. Experiments will test multiple concentrations and combinations of the two metals rather than a single dose. The goal is to map coordinated bacterial defense mechanisms and identify vulnerabilities that could be targeted by future treatments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This project does not enroll patients now, but people with bacterial respiratory infections could be candidates for future related clinical trials based on these findings.
Not a fit: People without bacterial infections or those with illnesses caused by viruses or non-bacterial conditions are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this lab-focused work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new ways to weaken or kill harmful bacteria and inform the development of improved antimicrobial therapies.
How similar studies have performed: Previous lab studies have shown that metals can affect bacterial survival, but combining and mapping coordinated copper plus zinc responses across concentrations is a relatively novel approach.
Where this research is happening
Tucson, United States
- University of Arizona — Tucson, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Johnson, Michael David Leslie — University of Arizona
- Study coordinator: Johnson, Michael David Leslie
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.