New antimicrobials from soil bacteria to fight tuberculosis
Official title: Harnessing high-throughput actinomycete interactions to find novel inhibitors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Funded at University of California Berkeley · NIH-11464618 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Scientists are testing a new way to grow rare soil bacteria in special 3D-printed plates to find compounds that could stop tuberculosis bacteria.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Berkeley NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Berkeley, United States) |
| Project start | August 25, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $185,644 |
| NIH project number | 1R21AI196905-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11464618 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to patients directly in this phase; however, the ultimate beneficiaries are people with TB who may gain new therapies in the future.
✕Less likely to help
No direct benefit to patients during this early, lab-based phase.
What this research studies
This project uses 3D-printed assay plates to coax rare actinomycete bacteria to produce new antibiotics that target Mycobacterium tuberculosis. By pairing actinomycetes with other microbes, the researchers hope to trigger hidden biosynthetic genes and uncover novel compounds. The work focuses on a pipeline from discovery to early characterization in the lab, aiming to move closer to treatments for drug-resistant TB.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could yield new drug candidates to fight drug-resistant TB.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research shows microbial interactions can unlock new antimicrobials, supporting the approach as promising but still exploratory.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Berkeley
Berkeley, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Traxler, Matthew F — University of California Berkeley
- Study coordinator: Traxler, Matthew 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.