New targets for fighting tuberculosis: how a protein cleanup machine in bacteria may guide new drugs
Official title: Phosphoarginine-linked protein quality control and stress responses in mycobacteria
Funded at University of Delaware · NIH-11395659 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A research grant explores how a bacterial protein-quality control system could be targeted to develop new antibiotics against tuberculosis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Delaware NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | August 15, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $384,447 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI171196-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11395659 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable; this is a basic science grant studying bacterial biology.
✕Less likely to help
No direct patient participation or immediate benefit is anticipated from this basic science research.
What this research studies
This project looks at how arginine phosphorylation signals are read by a mycobacterial protein cleanup system, with the goal of identifying new drug targets. Researchers will study how the ClpC1P1P2 protease complex in M. tuberculosis responds to stress signals and how these signals influence bacterial survival. The work combines lab experiments to map protein signals, test how inhibitors affect the protease, and understand essential bacterial processes that could be disrupted by new therapies. Results could point to vulnerabilities in the bacteria that future drugs might exploit to treat drug-resistant tuberculosis.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new treatment approaches for drug-resistant tuberculosis by targeting the bacterial protein degradation pathway.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies in related bacteria suggest that phosphoarginine signals can guide protease activity, supporting potential relevance to mycobacteria.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Delaware
Newark, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schmitz, Karl Robert — University of Delaware
- Study coordinator: Schmitz, Karl Robert
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.