Federal Grant Award Summary

Brown University received a $542,599 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 6, 2026, with a completion date of June 30, 2031. The grant supports development of bacteria-triggered hydrogel wound dressings designed to deliver antibiotics and probiotics for treating chronic wound infections caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens, specifically methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The innovation addresses the critical problem of antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation in infected chronic wounds by creating hydrogels that respond to beta-lactamase enzymes—produced by resistant bacteria—to trigger on-demand, localized release of therapeutic agents rather than passive diffusion that can promote further resistance development.

The project delivers a next-generation wound dressing technology that combines targeted antimicrobial delivery with probiotic therapy to restore balanced wound microbiota and promote healing. By engineering hydrogels to degrade specifically in response to bacterial enzymatic activity, the research aims to overcome limitations of existing passive-release dressings and provide precision treatment only when bacterial pathogens are present. This work is conducted at Brown University's Providence, Rhode Island location and addresses an urgent clinical need in managing treatment-resistant infections that complicate chronic wound care.