Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded the Regents of the University of Minnesota a $757,038 Project Grant under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) beginning April 1, 2026, with a completion date of March 31, 2031. This research initiative will investigate human airway macrophage immunity in tuberculosis by defining the early innate immune determinants that govern infection outcomes following exposure to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). The award supports two primary research aims: (1) characterizing the functional role of airway macrophage interferon (IFN) clusters in early MTB infection through mechanistic studies, and (2) establishing a tuberculosis close-contact cohort to examine associations between airway macrophage phenotypes and interferon gamma release assay (IGRA) positivity following MTB exposure.

The research will employ advanced molecular and cellular techniques, including single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with sequencing (ATAC-seq), to characterize the transcriptomic and epigenetic landscape of airway macrophages collected via bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) from healthy volunteers and TB close contacts recruited through partnership with the Hennepin County Public Health Tuberculosis Clinic in Minneapolis, Minnesota. These integrated analytical approaches will identify cellular mechanisms underlying variable MTB infection progression, ultimately distinguishing biological factors that determine why some individuals develop established MTB infection while others achieve natural control following exposure.