How Gram-negative bacteria build and move materials in their outer shell
Synthesis and transport of outer membrane components across the Gram-negative cell envelope
Researchers are looking at how Gram-negative bacteria make and move parts of their outer membrane to help design new antibiotics for resistant infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Georgia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Athens, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11251201 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Scientists are focusing on the outer membrane that protects Gram-negative bacteria and makes them naturally resistant to many drugs. They will study specific bacterial proteins (AsmA-like family: YhdP, TamB, YdbH) that move lipids across the cell envelope and keep the membrane intact. Using laboratory experiments with bacterial strains, genetics, biochemistry, and microscopy, the team will compare how these proteins work and how they compensate for one another. The hope is to find weak points in membrane assembly that new medicines could target.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This is laboratory research and is not enrolling patients; people with current infections are not being recruited.
Not a fit: Patients with infections caused by non–Gram-negative organisms or who need immediate clinical treatment are unlikely to benefit directly from this lab-only work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new antibiotics that overcome Gram-negative bacteria's defenses and improve treatment options for resistant infections.
How similar studies have performed: Previous laboratory studies have pointed to outer membrane assembly as a promising target, but no approved antibiotics yet directly attack OM biogenesis, so this builds on emerging but still unproven approaches.
Where this research is happening
Athens, United States
- University of Georgia — Athens, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Trent, Michael Stephen — University of Georgia
- Study coordinator: Trent, Michael Stephen
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.