Understanding how bacteria sense danger and form protective biofilms
Official title: Mechanisms of Bacterial Lysis Sensing
Funded at Carnegie-Mellon University · NIH-11392440 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are studying how bacteria detect threats and instinctively build protective biofilms, which could lead to better ways to treat infections and prevent biofilm-related problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Carnegie-Mellon University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | August 12, 2025 |
| Project end | May 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $417,450 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM160020-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11392440 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to patients directly; potential indirect benefits come from improving infection control and antibiotic therapies.
✕Less likely to help
There is no direct patient participation in this basic science grant.
What this research studies
This project investigates a newly discovered mechanism called lysis sensing, where bacteria respond to signals from the death of related cells by forming biofilms. By combining molecular biology, biochemistry, advanced microscopy, and computational and automated methods, scientists will map the signals to the protective biofilm response. The work aims to connect what happens at the molecular level to how populations of bacteria behave in complex communities that resemble real-life microbiomes. The findings could reveal new targets to disrupt biofilms and improve antibiotic effectiveness.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to strategies that prevent or break up harmful biofilms, improving treatments for infections and reducing biofilm-related failures in clinical and industrial settings.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary work has shown that lysis signaling influences biofilm formation, with ongoing studies expanding these findings.
Where this research is happening
-
Carnegie-Mellon University
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bridges, Andrew a. — Carnegie-Mellon University
- Study coordinator: Bridges, Andrew a.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Digital biomarkers to guide personalized rehab after ACL injury
Aims to use wearable sensors and phone videos to predict early osteoarthritis risk after ACL surgery so rehabilitation can be tailored to each patient.
-
Understanding early lung scarring in 3-D tissue environments
A new NIH grant aims to map where and how early lung scarring starts in three-dimensional tissue, with the goal of guiding better treatments for people with fibrotic lung diseases.
-
Understanding how iron- and 2-oxoglutarate–dependent enzymes help make halogenated compounds
This NIH grant supports research to uncover how a family of iron enzymes adds chlorine or other halogen atoms to biological molecules, which could lead to new ways to make safer, more effective cancer-fighting drugs.
-
How the brain plans and sequences everyday actions
This project looks at how connected brain areas plan and carry out multi-step movements so findings can help people with movement problems like Parkinson's disease.
-
ALT Cancer Telomere SUMOylation: Targeting a Achilles’ heel in cancer cells
A bright, patient-friendly look at a research project aiming to disrupt a cancer-specific process at the ends of chromosomes to slow or stop tumor growth.
-
Role of the ventral visual pathway in everyday actions
This grant studies how brain regions that process what we see help people perform daily tasks like gripping a cup or using utensils, especially after brain injury.
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.