How cholera bacteria control enzymes that break their cell wall
Molecular mechanisms of peptidoglycan endopeptidase regulation
Researchers are looking at how Vibrio cholerae controls enzymes that shape and break its cell wall to help improve ways antibiotics kill these bacteria.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cornell University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ithaca, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11177885 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project works with the cholera-causing bacterium Vibrio cholerae in the lab to study enzymes called endopeptidases (like ShyA and ShyC) that remodel and sometimes destroy the bacterial cell wall. Scientists will use genetic changes, biochemical tests, and microscopy to find what turns these enzymes on and off during normal growth and after antibiotic exposure. The team aims to map the molecular switches that keep the cell wall intact or trigger its breakdown when treated with beta-lactam antibiotics. Because similar enzymes are found across many bacterial species, the findings could apply beyond cholera.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This is a lab-based project that does not enroll people, but its results would be most relevant to patients with cholera or other drug-resistant bacterial infections.
Not a fit: People with non-bacterial illnesses or those needing immediate clinical treatment are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this basic laboratory research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new targets or strategies to make antibiotics more effective against cholera and other antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.
How similar studies have performed: Prior laboratory studies have shown that autolysin enzymes influence how antibiotics kill bacteria, but targeting endopeptidase regulation as a therapeutic approach remains a relatively new direction.
Where this research is happening
Ithaca, United States
- Cornell University — Ithaca, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Doerr, Tobias — Cornell University
- Study coordinator: Doerr, Tobias
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.