New chemical methods to make rare nitrogen-rich rings and tool compounds to study gut bacteria
Official title: Chemical synthesis to access rare heterocycles and tool compounds to probe bacterial polysaccharide metabolism
Funded at Clemson University · NIH-11345867 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers at Clemson are developing new chemistry to create rare nitrogen-rich molecules and special tool compounds to better understand how gut bacteria metabolize polysaccharides, with potential implications for autoimmune diseases and infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Clemson University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Clemson, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $359,043 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM153221-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11345867 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to patients directly; the work centers on chemistry and early biological testing with potential future clinical relevance.
✕Less likely to help
Current research activities do not involve recruiting patients or directly providing patient care.
What this research studies
This grant focuses on creating novel synthetic methods to access unusual nitrogen-containing heterocycles, including the rare diazacyclobutene scaffold, and on developing non-microbial tool compounds to study how Bacteroides and related gut bacteria process polysaccharides. The work combines advanced organic chemistry with early biological testing to explore potential links to human disease. If successful, these new chemical tools could enable deeper biological studies and possibly inform future therapies or diagnostics related to autoimmune conditions and bacterial infections. The project is led by Daniel C. Whitehead at Clemson University and spans five years.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If the new chemical tools and heterocycles prove biologically active, they could accelerate discoveries related to autoimmune diseases and bacterial infections by enabling more precise study of bacterial metabolism and drug-like molecules.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary results show some DCBs have anti-parasitic activity, suggesting potential biological relevance and value for further development.
Where this research is happening
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Clemson University
Clemson, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Whitehead, Daniel Charles — Clemson University
- Study coordinator: Whitehead, Daniel Charles
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.