Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded the University of Massachusetts a $2.64 million Project Grant under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) effective April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2030. The award supports the development and evaluation of poly(oxanorborneneimide) antimicrobial polymers (PONI-AMPs) as a therapeutic treatment for multidrug-resistant (MDR) wound biofilm infections. The research integrates synthetic polymer chemistry, computational modeling, and machine learning to design novel polymers that effectively kill biofilm-based bacteria while minimizing toxicity to host cells. The project will culminate in the incorporation of optimized PONI-AMP therapeutics into hydrogel formulations for controlled-release wound infection treatment, with validation conducted through both in vitro and in vivo wound biofilm models.

The deliverables include newly synthesized polymer variants with diverse sidechain functionality screened for antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity, computational chemistry descriptors generated through atomistic simulations to guide polymer design, machine learning-informed polymer optimization protocols, and prototype hydrogel-based PONI-AMP formulations evaluated for efficacy and safety. Research activities are performed at the University of Massachusetts in Hadley, Massachusetts, leveraging the institution's expertise in nanomedicine and wound biofilm research through a collaborative team spanning polymer synthesis, computational chemistry, and biofilm infection modeling.