The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $696,819 Project Grant to the University of Pittsburgh under the Biological Sciences (CFDA 47.074) program. This 3-year research project, titled "Collaborative Research: Broadening Perspectives on Innate Immunity via the Response of Diverse Eukaryotes to a Versatile Bacterial Pathogen," seeks to investigate innate immune responses in three organisms that consume bacteria: sponges, choanoflagellates, and amoebae. The goal is to use the versatile pathogen Legionella pneumophila to elicit and characterize "effector-triggered immunity" across these evolutionarily divergent species, which could reveal novel strategies for antibacterial defense and the origins of animal immune systems. The project includes outreach components, such as a summer program for urban high school students to conduct hands-on experiments and present their findings. Subawards are planned as part of this collaborative research effort.
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