Research Initiation Award: Mechanisms regulating intrinsic levels of antimicrobial resistance in planktonic cells and biofilms of commensal Neisseria

Catalyst项目为历史上的黑人学院和大学提供支持，以建立教师的研究能力，加强科学、技术、工程和数学本科教育和研究。预计该奖项将进一步提高教师的研究能力，提高学院的研究和教学水平，并让本科生参与研究经验。该奖项授予斯佩尔曼学院的目的是表征浮游细胞和形成生物膜的细胞中共生奈瑟菌的抗微生物耐药性水平和机制，以及这些细菌是否应被视为抗微生物耐药性基因传播的储存库。共生细菌存在于多细胞生物体内或体外，通常不会造成伤害。作为复杂而多样的微生物群的一部分，几种共生奈瑟菌生活在人类口腔和鼻咽中。它们与致病性脑膜炎奈瑟菌（脑膜炎的一种病原体）和淋病奈瑟菌（性传播疾病淋病的病原体）有关。尽管对致病性奈瑟菌进行了研究，但共生奈瑟菌的特征却很差。破译共生奈瑟菌抗微生物药物耐药性的影响因素和调控途径将阐明共生和致病物种进化的分子机制。本研究的目的是表征浮游细胞和生物膜细胞的抗菌素耐药性水平，并确定共生奈瑟菌这些细胞群的抗菌素耐药性的因素和调节机制。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Catalyst Projects provide support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities to work towards establishing research capacity of faculty to strengthen science, technology, engineering and mathematics undergraduate education and research. It is expected that the award will further the faculty member's research capability, improve research and teaching at the institution, and involve undergraduate students in research experiences. The award to Spelman College aims to characterize commensal Neisseria levels and mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance, in planktonic cells and cells forming biofilms, and whether these bacteria should be considered a reservoir for the spread of antimicrobial resistance genes.Commensal bacteria persist inside or outside multicellular organisms, usually without causing harm. Several commensal Neisseria species live in the human oral and nasopharynx as part of a complex and diverse microbiome. They are related to the pathogenic N. meningitidis, an agent of meningitis, and N. gonorrhoeae, the agent of the sexually-transmitted disease gonorrhea. As much as pathogenic Neisseria are studied, commensal Neisseria are poorly characterized. Deciphering the factors and regulatory pathways affecting antimicrobial resistance in commensal Neisseria will elucidate the molecular mechanisms that evolved in commensal and pathogenic species. The goals of this study are to characterize antimicrobial resistance levels of planktonic cells, of cells in biofilms, and to identify the factors and regulatory mechanisms involved in antimicrobial resistance in these cell populations of commensal Neisseria species.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.