Understanding why some bacteria hide inside cells during infection
Official title: Resolving rare invasive pathogen states with scalable dual single-cell transcriptomics
Funded at Institute for Systems Biology · NIH-11440671 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study will look at how a tiny number of Salmonella bacteria inside human cells survive antibiotic treatment by changing both their own genes and the host cell’s gene activity.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Institute for Systems Biology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | August 12, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $235,000 |
| NIH project number | 1R21AI202154-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11440671 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients with intracellular bacterial infections or conditions involving Salmonella, whose cells can be studied to understand persistence mechanisms.
✕Less likely to help
People without intracellular bacterial infections may not directly benefit from this basic science study.
What this research studies
This project aims to map the gene activity of both human cells and Salmonella bacteria at the single-cell level to uncover how persister cells form. By analyzing how gene expression varies during each host–pathogen interaction, researchers hope to pinpoint pathways that lead to persistence rather than clearance. The study will use advanced dual single-cell transcriptomics to capture simultaneous gene activity in host and bacteria from infected cells. The goal is to reveal new targets that could prevent persistence and improve antibiotic effectiveness.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could lead to new strategies to prevent bacterial persistence and improve treatment outcomes for intracellular infections.
How similar studies have gone: Previous single-cell approaches have shown that heterogeneity in gene expression influences outcomes, supporting this line of research as promising.
Where this research is happening
-
Institute for Systems Biology
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kuchina, Anna — Institute for Systems Biology
- Study coordinator: Kuchina, Anna
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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.