Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of Notre Dame DU Lac received a $769,354 Project Grant award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855), effective May 22, 2026, through April 30, 2031. This research initiative addresses the urgent public health threat of Clostridioides difficile infections by investigating spore germination mechanisms and developing novel therapeutic interventions. The project will deliver two primary research products: (1) elucidation of the molecular machinery governing C. difficile spore germination, with particular focus on the target enzyme SLEC, a lytic transglycosylase essential to spore cell wall turnover; and (2) optimization and pre-clinical development of oxadiazole-class antibiotics as spore germination inhibitors with improved safety profiles, pharmacokinetic properties, in vitro activity, selectivity, and efficacy.

The research directly addresses a critical gap in clinical therapeutics, as current antibiotic treatments do not inhibit spore germination—the primary driver of C. difficile recurrent infections affecting approximately 25 percent of patients. By combining basic science investigation with lead compound optimization, this project will generate both fundamental knowledge advancing understanding of bacterial spore biology and practical pre-clinical candidates for therapeutic development to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with recurrent C. difficile infections.