Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The Medical College of Wisconsin, Inc. received a $649,014 Project Grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855), awarded February 5, 2026, with a completion date of January 31, 2031. This research project addresses antimicrobial resistance in enterococci by investigating the conformation and functional dynamics of Class B penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs). The research will determine the conformational dynamics and in vivo function of pedestal domains across the three enterococcal Class B PBPs and examine how these domains interact with regulatory factors to confer cephalosporin resistance in hospital-acquired pathogens.

The grant supports fundamental scientific research aimed at identifying new antimicrobial targets and strategies to combat antibiotic-resistant enterococci, which are significant causes of hospital-acquired infections. Through structural and functional studies of PBP pedestal domains—particularly examining their conformational changes between "closed" and "open" states—the research will advance understanding of the genetic and biochemical mechanisms underlying cephalosporin resistance. This knowledge gap addresses a critical public health challenge and contributes to the NIAID program's mission of advancing scientific understanding of infectious disease mechanisms to improve therapeutic interventions and health outcomes.