Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded $240,750 to The Regents of the University of California, Berkeley under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) on May 20, 2026, with completion targeted for April 30, 2028. This Project Grant supports fundamental research to identify and characterize MELO (Mycobacterial Exporter of Lipids to the Outer Membrane), a novel multi-protein complex responsible for lipid transport in mycobacteria, including the pathogenic Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The research will employ genetic screening, proteomic approaches, and affinity purification-crosslinking mass spectrometry (AP-XL-MS) to map the MELO protein interaction network and functionally validate the roles of identified components in lipid transport and outer membrane biogenesis.

The research outputs will advance understanding of bacterial cell envelope biology and contribute to knowledge of mechanisms underlying mycobacterial resilience and antibiotic resistance. By elucidating this previously undiscovered lipid export system, the findings may have implications for identifying novel therapeutic targets against tuberculosis and other mycobacterial infections. The project will be conducted at UC Berkeley's Berkeley, California location.