Project Grant R01AI194523

This Project Grant award of $709,891.00 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) supports research on the structure and mechanism of the polar tube invasion apparatus from microsporidian parasites. The key objectives are to: 1) study the architecture of the polar tube in its post-fired state and capture intermediates of the firing process, including cargo transport, using cryo-electron tomography; 2) biochemically and structurally characterize the individual protein components of the polar tube organelle using X-ray crystallography, single particle cryo electron microscopy, and protein-protein interaction assays; and 3) define the mechanism of host cell invasion by the polar tube using live-cell optical microscopy. The research is being conducted by The Johns Hopkins University, a leading private, non-profit research institution, from August 1, 2025 to July 31, 2030. This work aims to provide fundamental insights into the unique invasion process of microsporidian parasites, which are emerging pathogens classified as NIAID Category B opportunistic pathogens that can cause microsporidiosis in immunocompromised patients.