Mapping small regulatory RNAs in the gonorrhea bacterium
Official title: Generation and characterization of a small RNA mutant library in Neisseria gonorrhea
Funded at Ohio University Athens · NIH-11199644 · Data updated 2026-11-12
They are making and testing altered gonorrhea bacteria to find small RNA molecules that may drive antibiotic resistance and help guide better treatments for people with drug-resistant gonorrhea.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R03 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ohio University Athens NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Athens, United States) |
| Project start | September 26, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $75,500 |
| NIH project number | 5R03AI188450-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11199644 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This grant does not appear to recruit patients; it focuses on lab-grown bacterial strains and genomic analyses rather than enrolling people.
✕Less likely to help
People needing immediate treatment for gonorrhea are unlikely to receive direct or immediate benefit from this laboratory research.
What this research studies
This project builds a library of Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains, each changed around a specific small regulatory RNA, to see how those changes affect bacterial behavior. Researchers created a new genome annotation listing 559 possible sRNAs, reanalyzed public RNA sequencing data to prioritize 88 candidate sRNAs, and will generate mutants in strain FA1090 for lab testing. Experiments will measure effects on growth, gene expression, and antibiotic response to identify sRNAs tied to resistance or infection traits. The work is laboratory-based and focused on bacterial samples rather than enrolling patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could reveal bacterial control points that lead to new drug targets or diagnostics for antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea.
How similar studies have gone: Similar sRNA-mapping approaches have identified important regulators in other bacteria, but comprehensive sRNA characterization in gonorrhea is largely new and understudied.
Where this research is happening
-
Ohio University Athens
Athens, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Weyand, Nathan John — Ohio University Athens
- Study coordinator: Weyand, Nathan John
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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.