Project Grant R21AI200304

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded a $197,500 Project Grant to the University of Notre Dame on June 1, 2026, under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) to conduct a two-year research investigation concluding May 31, 2028. The research will examine how tyloxapol, a non-ionic detergent used in mycobacterial culture media, inhibits the type VII secretion system (ESX-1) in mycobacteria, specifically focusing on the mechanism by which this detergent impairs phagosomal escape and cell-to-cell spread of pathogenic bacteria. The project builds on established preliminary data demonstrating that tyloxapol reduces expression of essential secretion substrates in Mycobacterium marinum, a model organism for studying M. tuberculosis infection.

The deliverables from this project will advance fundamental scientific understanding of mycobacterial pathogenesis mechanisms relevant to tuberculosis research. Specifically, the award will fund laboratory research activities to define how tyloxapol impacts mycobacterial gene expression and protein secretion pathways, with potential implications for therapeutic interventions targeting mycobacterial virulence. The research will be conducted at Notre Dame's Research Office facility in Notre Dame, Indiana, and is anticipated to generate scientific publications, methodological advances in mycobacterial biology study techniques, and foundational knowledge applicable to infectious disease research and vaccine development efforts supported by NIAID.