This $563,387 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) will fund research at the University of Mississippi to investigate the function of a broadly conserved bacterial protein and its role in pilus biogenesis. The project aims to characterize the mechanisms by which this unknown protein, BRESU_2828, affects the stability of the global genetic regulator GcrA and ultimately impacts pilus biosynthesis in the non-model bacterium Brevundimonas subvibrioides. The research will employ quantitative proteomics, in vitro protein interaction studies, and precision mutagenesis to better understand BRESU_2828's interacting partners and its function in different bacterial species. The project will also examine the role of the SCIP protein in pilus expression and how BRESU_2828 controls SCIP activity. This work is expected to provide foundational insights into an uncharacterized bacterial protein that could have implications for both biomedical and agricultural applications. The award period runs from February 15, 2025 to January 31, 2028.
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