Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded the University of Massachusetts a $797,682 Project Grant under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) effective July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031. This award funds research focused on developing chemical strategies to investigate mycomembrane remodeling and host interactions in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis. The research addresses critical knowledge gaps regarding how the mycobacterial outer mycomembrane functions as a permeability barrier and virulence factor. The project deliverables include the development and application of novel chemical tools—specifically clickable probes, fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) probes, and photocrosslinking probes—to label and study mycomembrane components including glycans and lipids that are not directly genetically encoded.

The research comprises two primary aims designed to advance understanding of tuberculosis pathogenesis and identify therapeutic vulnerabilities. Aim 1 focuses on using clickable and FRET probes to elucidate mechanisms and vulnerabilities associated with stress-triggered mycomembrane turnover. Aim 2 employs clickable and photocrosslinking probes to determine the mechanisms by which mycomembrane components interact with and manipulate host cells. Upon successful completion, these chemical strategies are expected to enable molecular-level mechanistic investigations of mycomembrane chemistry and biology, with anticipated benefits extending to the broader research community working on infectious disease diagnostics and therapeutics.