Project Grant R16AI201121

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases awarded the University of Nebraska $137,005 on August 1, 2026, under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) to investigate host immune and metabolic determinants of Staphylococcus aureus persister survival.

The research examines how S. aureus persister cells—dormant bacterial populations that survive antibiotic therapy—interact with the host immune system and evade antimicrobial responses. Aim 1 defines mechanisms by which persisters withstand antimicrobial agents within macrophages and neutrophils, focusing on resistance to reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Aim 2 determines whether persisters manipulate host immunity to promote persistence through modulation of cytokine responses, immune cell recruitment, and macrophage function. The research addresses the central hypothesis that persister formation provides survival advantages during infection by tolerating innate immune antimicrobial components and dampening host immune responses, with implications for treating chronic staphylococcal infections including biofilm-associated device infections, osteomyelitis, cystic fibrosis, and endocarditis.

Performance occurs in Kearney, Nebraska, with a period of performance from August 1, 2026, through July 31, 2030. This is a project grant, the assistance type for investigator-initiated research under the program.