How bacteria use metal-containing enzymes to survive in low-oxygen parts of the body
Deciphering microbial metalloenzyme functions in microaerobic host environments
Researchers are working to understand how bacteria living in low-oxygen body sites use metal-containing enzymes so new treatments can better fight persistent and antibiotic-resistant infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Washington NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11324624 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project focuses on bacterial enzymes that work without oxygen and are common in places like the gut, wounds, and lung mucus. Scientists will study the enzymes' chemistry, the reactions they perform, and how those reactions help bacteria survive, using purified proteins, bacterial strains, and genetic and biochemical tools in the lab. By mapping those molecular steps and biological roles, the team hopes to reveal weak points that drugs could target to prevent persistence and antibiotic resistance. The work is laboratory-based at the University of Washington rather than a patient enrollment trial.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with chronic or recurrent bacterial infections in low-oxygen areas—such as non-healing wounds, certain lung infections, or gut-associated bacterial problems—could ultimately benefit from therapies that arise from this research.
Not a fit: Patients with viral illnesses, purely genetic conditions, or infections that do not involve low-oxygen bacterial growth are unlikely to see direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could point to new drug targets or treatments that more effectively clear persistent and antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections in low-oxygen body sites.
How similar studies have performed: Enzymes that use oxygen have been studied extensively, but the family of oxygen-independent bacterial metalloenzymes targeted here is relatively new and largely untested for therapeutic development.
Where this research is happening
Seattle, United States
- University of Washington — Seattle, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rajakovich, Lauren Julia — University of Washington
- Study coordinator: Rajakovich, Lauren Julia
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.