The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $451,276 Project Grant to the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) program (CFDA 47.049) for the project "Design of pH-Responsive Peptide Assembly for Acid-Activatable Antimicrobial Therapy." The project aims to develop self-assembling antimicrobial nanofibers that are activated in acidic environments, such as those found in infections, to effectively kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria without harming healthy tissue. Specifically, the researchers will synthesize new pH-responsive peptides containing non-natural amino acids and fabricate multi-component nanofiber assemblies with synergistic antimicrobial activity. The project will validate the fundamental design principles and provide critical insights into the molecular and supramolecular chemistry governing the structure and antimicrobial function of these acid-activatable nanofiber systems. This award reflects NSF's mission to advance scientific knowledge and support transformative materials research with potential societal impact.
Generated 11/19/24, 4:18 AM