New molecules from Clostridia biosynthesis to fight antibiotic resistance
Official title: Discovering new molecules and chemistry from natural product biosynthesis in Clostridia
Funded at Northeastern University · NIH-11442977 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Scientists will study unusual natural products made by anaerobic gut bacteria like Clostridia to discover new antibiotic-building blocks.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northeastern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $440,000 |
| NIH project number | 1R35GM167052-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11442977 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients with drug-resistant bacterial infections or individuals at risk for resistant infections who could benefit from future antibiotic development.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not directly involved in trials or those without resistant infections may not benefit from this specific project.
What this research studies
This project focuses on Clostridia’s unique biosynthetic pathways to find novel molecules that could become effective antibiotics. Researchers will use genomic mining and activity-guided methods to identify cobalamin-dependent radical S-adenosylmethionine enzymes linked to NRPS assembly lines and explore their unusual chemistry. They will study these enzymes in purified form and in living cells to understand how they modify amino acids during peptide assembly, aiming to harness these reactions to improve antibiotic stability and activity.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could yield new antibiotic scaffolds that help treat resistant infections.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that exploring diverse bacterial biosynthesis can lead to new antibiotics, though work on B12-rSAM NRPS systems is emerging.
Where this research is happening
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Northeastern University
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Woolston, Benjamin Michael — Northeastern University
- Study coordinator: Woolston, Benjamin Michael
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.