Project Grant F32AI197456

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases awarded The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center $152,600 on October 7, 2026, under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) to elucidate the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which B-alanyl tryptamine (BATT), a recently discovered schistosome pheromone, triggers female sexual maturation in schistosomes.

The recipient will conduct research using transcriptomics, proteomics, and functional assays with Schistosoma mansoni as a model organism. Work encompasses two primary aims: Aim 1 employs complementary genetic and chemical biological approaches to uncover molecular targets of BATT, including systematic screening of schistosome G protein-coupled receptors and development of activity-based probes; Aim 2 uses transcriptomic approaches to define BATT-responsive cell types. The research addresses signaling pathways activated by the pheromone in female worms, which remains largely unknown despite evidence that BATT induces sex organ maturation and egg production. Understanding these mechanisms may inform interventions targeting schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease sustained in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia through egg-laying by mature females.

Place of performance is Dallas, Texas. The project period runs from October 7, 2026, through April 7, 2029. This is a Project Grant, the standard NIH research grant vehicle for investigator-initiated biomedical research.