Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) awarded a $429,000 Project Grant to the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston for basic biomedical research on membrane phospholipid homeostasis in microorganisms. Funded through the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859), the award commenced on August 1, 2026, and extends through March 31, 2031. The research investigates the structural organization and regulatory mechanisms of phospholipid metabolic enzyme complexes (metabolons) in Escherichia coli, with particular focus on how these metabolic networks integrate with cellular division machinery and redox homeostasis.

The project delivers fundamental scientific discoveries through coordinated biochemical and biophysical research, including bacterial two-hybrid screening, biolayer interferometry, crosslinking mass spectrometry, and phospholipid radiolabeling analysis. Specifically, the research aims to define the organization and regulatory mechanisms of the phospholipid metabolon, elucidate its interplay with divisome complexes to coordinate membrane biogenesis with cell division, and determine the structural basis of redox-regulated enzymatic functions. These findings will advance understanding of bacterial membrane dynamics and establish foundational knowledge applicable to bacterial physiology, envelope integrity, and potential therapeutic interventions targeting membrane-associated processes.