How disease-causing bacteria make and use sulfur
Official title: Sulfur Metabolism in Human Pathogens
Funded at Florida Atlantic University · NIH-11166514 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are exploring how bacteria produce a sulfur-containing molecule so new drugs or add-ons can help people with antibiotic-resistant infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Florida Atlantic University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boca Raton, United States) |
| Project start | December 8, 2008 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $343,125 |
| NIH project number | 5R01GM087638-14 |
| Project ID | NIH-11166514 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections, such as drug-resistant tuberculosis or other multidrug-resistant bacterial illnesses, are the patients who could eventually benefit.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with non-bacterial illnesses (for example viral or fungal infections) or those needing immediate clinical treatment are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this preclinical research now.
What this research studies
This project focuses on the enzymes bacteria use to make L-cysteine from sulfate, a process that helps them survive host defenses and some antibiotics. Scientists are determining the structures and mechanisms of key enzymes such as APS reductase and performing lab tests to find compounds that block these pathways. The team will test whether blocking sulfur biosynthesis can sensitize bacteria to existing antibiotics or improve immune clearance using microbial cultures and biochemical assays. All work is preclinical and laboratory-based at Florida Atlantic University, including molecular studies and compound screening.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new antibiotics or adjuvant drugs that restore or boost antibiotic effectiveness against resistant bacterial infections.
How similar studies have gone: Laboratory research has shown that inhibiting bacterial sulfate assimilation can weaken pathogens and increase antibiotic killing, but these approaches have not yet produced approved human treatments.
Where this research is happening
-
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Carroll, Kate Suzanne — Florida Atlantic University
- Study coordinator: Carroll, Kate Suzanne
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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.