Award
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases 11468861
Development of Antibiotic Adjuvants to Avert Resistance Conferred by Cfr, a Radical S-Adenosylmethionine Methylase
Recipient
University of Pennsylvania
Award Amount
$134,523.00
Ceiling
$134,523.00
Awarded
June 11, 2026
Identifier
11468861
The award funds research to develop small molecule inhibitors targeting the Cfr enzyme to prevent antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria, aiming to restore antibiotic effectiveness.
Description
This project aims to identify, characterize, and optimize small molecules as antibiotic adjuvants that inhibit the activity of the chloramphenicol-florfenicol resistance (Cfr) protein, a radical S-adenosylmethionine enzyme that methylates adenosine 2503 of 23S rRNA in bacterial ribosomes, conferring resistance to multiple antibiotics across various pathogenic bacteria. The goal is to develop compounds that inhibit Cfr activity, thereby preventing bacteria from acquiring resistance and restoring antibiotic efficacy.