Targeting bacterial cell envelopes to fight drug‑resistant infections
Administrative Core
This project builds lab tools to find new drugs and therapeutic proteins that break open bacterial outer layers to help people with antibiotic‑resistant infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Harvard Medical School NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11121826 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will use biochemistry, structural biology, genetic screens, and new screening technologies to study how bacterial cell envelopes are built. The team will focus on membrane proteins and protein complexes that are essential for envelope biogenesis in both Gram‑negative and Gram‑positive bacteria. Lab work includes reconstituting multi‑enzyme pathways, solving structures of membrane proteins, and running screens to discover compounds or protein therapeutics that disrupt these processes. Success here would create candidates for later preclinical and clinical testing against multidrug‑resistant infections.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who have or are at high risk for infections caused by multidrug‑resistant Gram‑negative or Gram‑positive bacteria are the most likely to benefit from this work.
Not a fit: People with viral illnesses, non‑bacterial conditions, or infections already treatable with existing antibiotics are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to new antibiotics or protein‑based therapies that treat infections resistant to current drugs.
How similar studies have performed: Related laboratory programs have identified promising antibiotic candidates and screening methods, but translating such discoveries into approved drugs has historically been slow and difficult.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Harvard Medical School — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Walker, Suzanne — Harvard Medical School
- Study coordinator: Walker, Suzanne
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 below.