Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Award Overview: Trustees of Tufts College, operating as Tufts University School of Medicine, received a $453,750 Project Grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855). The award, issued February 2, 2026, with an ultimate completion date of January 31, 2028, funds research conducted in Boston, Massachusetts.

Research Services and Products: The grant supports investigative research examining how the pathogenic bacterium Shigella flexneri regulates gasdermin D (GSDMD) palmitoylation to evade host immune responses. Specifically, Tufts will conduct biomedical research to establish GSDMD palmitoylation as a critical factor in the human innate immune response to bacterial pathogens, investigate mechanisms by which Shigella blocks this response to enhance pathogen survival, and develop insights that inform novel anti-microbial therapeutic interventions. The research addresses pyroptosis—an inflammatory cell death mechanism—and how palmitoyl acyl-transferases regulate this defense pathway in intestinal epithelial cells. Deliverables include scientific findings that could advance understanding of host-pathogen interactions and support development of new treatment modalities to enhance innate immune defenses against infectious diseases.