Platform to discover new antifungals for serious fungal infections
Official title: A Platform for Antifungal Discovery
Funded at Northeastern University · NIH-11427034 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new platform will help scientists find non-toxic compounds that kill dangerous fungi, aiming to help patients with invasive fungal infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northeastern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 10, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $738,722 |
| NIH project number | 1R01AI201156-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11427034 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with invasive fungal infections caused by Candida, Cryptococcus, or Aspergillus species who need safer, more effective treatments.
✕Less likely to help
If a patient’s infection is caused by a fungus not targeted by these pathogens, or if compounds fail safety tests, they may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project creates an advanced discovery platform to identify antifungal compounds by selecting promising producers and performing ultra-high-throughput single-cell screening of soil bacteria. It focuses on four critical fungal pathogens and looks for compounds that target them without harming human cells. The approach combines two strategies to rapidly generate potential antifungals that could be developed into safer therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could yield new antifungal options with better safety and effectiveness for patients with serious fungal infections.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary work has shown the platform can identify new antifungal compounds, suggesting potential for future success.
Where this research is happening
-
Northeastern University
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lewis, Kim — Northeastern University
- Study coordinator: Lewis, Kim
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.