New antibiotics from hidden microbes using digital discovery and sequencing
Official title: Bioinformatics guided synthesis of novel antibiotics from previously inaccessible microbial dark matter
Funded at Rockefeller University · NIH-11367630 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A scientist team at Rockefeller University is pursuing new antibiotics by reading DNA directly from environmental microbes to find hidden antibiotic genes and then turning those ideas into real drugs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rockefeller University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $798,670 |
| NIH project number | 1R01AI193146-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11367630 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients with difficult-to-treat bacterial infections or clinicians seeking new antibiotic options.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with infections caused by non-target pathogens or those without access to advanced healthcare settings may not directly benefit in the short term.
What this research studies
This project aims to unlock antibiotics by combining cutting-edge sequencing of environmental DNA with advanced bioinformatics to reveal new natural compounds that could fight drug-resistant bacteria. Researchers will bypass traditional culture methods, identify hidden biosynthetic gene clusters, and translate them into potential antibiotic candidates. The work blends genomics, computational biology, and chemistry to create a pipeline for discovering nature-inspired drugs that could help patients with resistant infections.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could lead to new antibiotics that work against resistant bacteria, potentially improving treatment options for patients.
How similar studies have gone: Similar approaches have yielded novel antibiotic leads from genomic data, with several programs progressing to early experimental validation.
Where this research is happening
-
Rockefeller University
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Brady, Sean F — Rockefeller University
- Study coordinator: Brady, Sean F
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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.