Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded University of Colorado-Denver a Project Grant of $739,968 under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) beginning June 16, 2026, with a completion date of May 31, 2031. This research initiative investigates the metabolic requirements of Staphylococcus aureus during skin colonization to advance understanding of how this pathogen establishes and maintains infection on human skin. The project focuses on identifying critical amino acid transport and catabolism mechanisms that enable bacterial survival in the skin's acidic environment, with specific emphasis on serine metabolism and bacterial resistance to toxic skin metabolites such as 5-oxoproline.

The research deliverables include characterization of S. aureus metabolic responses to skin-simulating conditions through transcriptional profiling and metabolomic analyses, evaluation of bacterial mutant strains disrupted in serine pathways through both in vitro and mouse skin colonization models, metabolic flux studies utilizing isotopic tracing techniques, and identification of serine transport mechanisms. These scientific outputs are intended to elucidate fundamental mechanisms underlying skin colonization, which may inform development of targeted interventions to prevent or treat S. aureus skin infections, a pathogen responsible for 76% of all skin infections.