Federal Grant Award Summary

Award: Project Grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855)

Funding Amount and Timeline: $254,250 obligated for the period July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028

Products and Services: This two-year research project, conducted by New York University School of Medicine, focuses on investigating the epigenetic mechanisms and evolutionary generality of bacterial persistence—the capacity of bacterial cells to survive antibiotic exposure without genetic mutation and subsequently resume growth after antibiotic removal. The research employs single-cell transcriptomic analysis to characterize a novel "persister-primed" cellular state in Staphylococcus aureus that emerges during antibiotic stress recovery. The project delivers original scientific research aimed at understanding why persister frequency increases dramatically across successive antibiotic treatment cycles (from less than 0.01% to approximately 80% after five rounds) and characterizes the metabolic and transcriptional signatures—particularly shifts in pyrimidine and purine metabolism—that distinguish the persister-primed state from normal proliferative states. The anticipated outputs include peer-reviewed publications, mechanistic insights into epigenetic regulation of bacterial persistence, and foundational knowledge that may inform strategies to overcome antibiotic tolerance and persistence in clinical infections.