Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded $419,834 to the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston on July 17, 2026, under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) to support research on host-derived protein contributions to enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) infectivity and persistence through June 30, 2028. The project deliverables include: (1) controlled exposure and challenge experiments in zebrafish larvae to assess how individual and combined fecal proteins affect EHEC infectivity and transmission potential; and (2) molecular characterization of fecal protein binding mechanisms, bacterial surface factors mediating adhesion, and protein-protein interaction interfaces. The research specifically investigates how serine protease inhibitors (serpins) such as alpha-1 antitrypsin bind to the EHEC cell envelope during gastrointestinal passage and enhance bacterial survival and colonization in subsequent hosts.

This Project Grant supports translational research addressing the mechanisms underlying EHEC's exceptionally low infectious dose—fewer than 100 organisms—and contributes to understanding fecal-oral transmission of enteric pathogens. Deliverables will advance scientific knowledge of bacterial virulence factors and host-pathogen interactions, with potential applications to infection prevention and therapeutic intervention strategies for hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome.