Federal Grant Award Summary

Texas A&M University received a $719,958 Project Grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855), awarded July 16, 2026, with performance completion targeted for June 30, 2031. The project, "Regulation of Isoprenoid Carrier Homeostasis in Enterobacterales," delivers fundamental research investigating how bacterial cells regulate undecaprenol-phosphate (UP) synthesis in response to antibiotic-induced stress and pathway disruptions. The research focuses on Enterobacterales bacteria, particularly Escherichia coli K-12, examining how cells compensate for UP sequestration caused by antibiotics such as bacitracin and mutations in essential biosynthetic pathways.

The primary deliverables from this research include scientific findings on the regulatory mechanisms controlling UP synthesis, identification of compensatory cellular responses to antibiotic-induced stress, and characterization of bacterial survival strategies under lethal UP sequestration conditions. By elucidating these regulatory pathways and their interactions with antibiotic response mechanisms, the project aims to provide evidence supporting the identification of novel antibiotic targets and improved predictive models for antibiotic efficacy—ultimately contributing to strategies to counter rising antibiotic resistance in clinically relevant enteric bacteria. Work will be performed at Texas A&M University's College Station, Texas facilities.