Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Chemistry awarded $598,188 to the University of Texas at Austin under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) for a CAREER project beginning February 15, 2026 and concluding January 31, 2028. The award supports fundamental research into enzymatic sulfur incorporation and modification in microbial secondary metabolite biosynthesis. The project aims to develop molecular-level understanding of how enzymes install and modify sulfur centers in natural products with potential applications in medicinal chemistry, manufacturing, and agriculture. Research efforts focus initially on two unique sulfur-containing natural product classes: sulfenic acids and sulfonolipids, with investigation into sulfur center transfer, incorporation, and modification mechanisms.

Beyond research deliverables, the award integrates educational and outreach components designed to broaden participation in chemistry education, particularly among underrepresented minorities and students at historically black colleges and universities in South Carolina. Outreach activities include a Backyard Chemists Program that engages community members in microbial sample collection and discovery of novel natural products. Additionally, the research is intended to generate practical applications through synthetic biology and green chemistry initiatives that leverage the enzymes under study, thereby advancing both fundamental scientific knowledge and applied technological innovation in sulfur-containing compound synthesis.