Stopping dangerous bacteria by blocking their unique DNA-making enzyme
Official title: Investigation of the Flavin Dependent Thymidylate Synthase enzyme as a potential antimicrobial target
Funded at San Francisco State University · NIH-11170637 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are developing drugs that block a bacterial enzyme used to make DNA to help treat antibiotic-resistant infections like tuberculosis and C. difficile.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | San Francisco State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $193,750 |
| NIH project number | 5R16GM154731-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11170637 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with antibiotic-resistant infections—for example drug-resistant tuberculosis or recurrent C. difficile—are the types of patients who could eventually benefit or be eligible for future clinical trials based on this work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose infections are caused by bacteria that do not use the FDTS enzyme, or those needing immediate treatment now, are unlikely to benefit directly from this laboratory research in the short term.
What this research studies
This project focuses on a bacterial enzyme called FDTS that some harmful germs use to make thymine, a building block of DNA. Scientists will study how FDTS works in pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Clostridioides difficile and compare it to the human enzyme to find differences that drugs can target. The team will use biochemical and structural lab experiments to map the enzyme’s active site and test small molecules that might shut it down. Success in the lab could guide development of antibiotics that kill resistant bacteria while avoiding damage to human cells.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new antibiotics that specifically kill resistant bacteria with lower toxicity to people.
How similar studies have gone: Targeting FDTS is a promising but early-stage approach: biochemical studies support the idea, but there are few if any approved drugs yet and clinical success remains unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Koehn, Eric Michael — San Francisco State University
- Study coordinator: Koehn, Eric Michael
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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.