How bacteria secrete harmful proteins and how to stop them
Official title: Elucidating the mechanisms of protein secretion across the outer membrane by bacterial autotransporters
Funded at Georgia Institute of Technology · NIH-11392549 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are studying how tricky bacterial proteins thread out of the cell to cause infections and how we might block this to help patients survive resistant infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Georgia Institute of Technology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project start | September 18, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $396,261 |
| NIH project number | 5R01GM148586-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11392549 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not a patient-initiated study; not enrolling participants as part of this grant.
✕Less likely to help
This grant does not involve direct patient participation or recruitment.
What this research studies
This project looks at how certain bacteria move proteins to the outside of their cells, which helps them cause disease. Scientists will study the folding of the protein pieces and how they cross the bacterial membrane, using advanced imaging and molecular techniques. The goal is to uncover steps in the process that could be targeted by new treatments, potentially reducing infection risk and antibiotic resistance. This work could lay the groundwork for therapies that disarm bacteria rather than simply kill them. The study is conducted at the Georgia Institute of Technology with a focus on human-relevant bacterial pathogens.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new strategies to prevent or treat dangerous bacterial infections and limit antibiotic resistance.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has advanced understanding of bacterial secretion but this project explores specific folding and translocation mechanisms that are not yet fully understood.
Where this research is happening
-
Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gumbart, James C. — Georgia Institute of Technology
- Study coordinator: Gumbart, James C.
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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.