Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded a $575,966 Project Grant to the University of California, Los Angeles on July 13, 2026, under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855). The research project, titled "How Surface Sensing and Second Messenger Signal Dynamics Control Time-Dependent Biofilm Outcomes," will extend through June 30, 2031, and focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms by which Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria sense surfaces and initiate biofilm formation—a significant clinical challenge responsible for infections costing over $1 billion annually, particularly in cystic fibrosis and other respiratory diseases.

The project will deliver foundational scientific research across four primary aims designed to elucidate how surface sensing signals are transduced into multigenerational signaling histories that promote specific time-dependent bacterial phenotypes. Specifically, the research will investigate the roles of diguanylate cyclase and phosphodiesterase enzymes in creating cyclic diguanylate signal structures; examine how combined cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) signal histories influence surface sensing and bacterial motility; and characterize the relationship between second messenger signaling dynamics and phenotypic outcomes including motility shutdown, exopolysaccharide-guided behavior, and biofilm consolidation. Results will advance understanding of biofilm formation mechanisms and may inform novel therapeutic strategies for biofilm-associated infections.