Understanding How Bacteria Fight Back Against Copper
Elucidating the Orchestrated Bacterial Response to Copper Toxicity
This work explores how disease-causing bacteria, like those that cause pneumonia, protect themselves from metals like copper within the human body.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Arizona NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tucson, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11187135 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Our bodies and invading bacteria are constantly battling over essential metals like iron and zinc, but some metals, like copper, can be toxic to bacteria. This project aims to uncover the clever ways bacteria adjust their internal systems to handle these toxic metals. By understanding how bacteria survive this metal stress, we can learn more about how they cause infections. This knowledge could help us find new ways to stop infections in the future.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients who suffer from bacterial infections, particularly those caused by pathogens like D. pneumoniae, could potentially benefit from future treatments developed from this fundamental understanding.
Not a fit: Patients without bacterial infections or those with conditions unrelated to bacterial metal responses would not directly benefit from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new strategies for developing antibiotics or treatments that target bacterial metal defenses, making it harder for infections to take hold.
How similar studies have performed: While other studies have looked at how bacteria respond to single metal concentrations, this project takes a novel approach by examining how bacteria react to multiple metals and varying concentrations, which is more like what happens in the body.
Where this research is happening
Tucson, United States
- University of Arizona — Tucson, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Johnson, Michael David Leslie — University of Arizona
- Study coordinator: Johnson, Michael David Leslie
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.