Research Initiation Award: Targeting Pyocyanin Production to Study Virulence Gene Regulation in Pseudomonas Aeruginosa

历史上的黑人学院和大学本科项目（HBCU-UP）通过研究启动奖为历史上的黑人学院和大学的初级和中期职业教师提供支持，他们正在建立新的研究项目或重新指导和重建现有的研究项目。期望该奖项有助于进一步提高教师的研究能力和效率，并改善本国机构的研究和教学。该奖项授予费耶特维尔州立大学，以支持研究基因表达分子机制的教师和本科生的研究经验。具体而言，该项目旨在研究铜绿假单胞菌中pyocyanin（毒力因子）产生的调控途径。Pyocyanin受高度调控，在细胞外分泌，且易于量化，是研究基因调控的理想靶点。绿脓杆菌是一种革兰氏阴性的机会性细菌，在自然界中无处不在，从土壤到飞机燃料。由于铜绿假单胞菌的生存、适应和抗生素耐药性需要广泛的机制，因此有必要更好地理解和探索这些调控途径并阐明其分子基础。本项目以花青素生产为目标，研究毒力基因调控，发现新的调控途径。具体而言，本项目旨在：1)表征环境因素在pyocyanin调控中的作用，2)确定各种转录因子和小分子如何影响pyocyanin调控，3)探索P. aeruginosa中pyocyanin的调控途径是否可以应用于其他毒力因子。这项研究将促进我们对花青素调控的理解，并有可能作为了解其他毒力因子如何调控的路线图。这项工作产生的数据将有助于未来的实验探索pyocyanin和P. aeruginosa中其他毒力基因的调控。最终，本研究项目的实施将以教学和培养本科生的假设驱动研究经验为中心。学生将培养实验设计、批判性阅读和理解主要文献的技能，为研究生院和/或STEM劳动力做好准备。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。

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) through Research Initiation Awards provide support for junior and mid-career faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities who are building new research programs or redirecting and rebuilding existing research programs. It is expected that the award helps to further the faculty member's research capability and effectiveness and improve research and teaching at the home institution. This award to Fayetteville State University supports faculty and undergraduate research experiences investigating the molecular mechanisms of gene expression. Specifically, the project seeks to examine the regulatory pathways of pyocyanin (virulence factor) production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Pyocyanin is highly regulated, extracellularly secreted, and easily quantifiable, making it an ideal target for studying gene regulation.P. aeruginosa is a Gram-negative opportunistic bacterium that is ubiquitous in nature, ranging from soil to jet fuel. Due to the vast range of mechanisms necessary for P. aeruginosa survival, adaption, and antibiotic resistance, there is a need to better understand and explore these regulatory pathways and elucidate the molecular underpinnings. This project targets pyocyanin production to study virulence gene regulation and discover novel regulatory pathways. Specifically, this project aims to: 1) characterize the role that environmental factors play in pyocyanin regulation, 2) determine how various transcription factors and small molecules affect pyocyanin regulation, and 3) explore if the regulatory pathways of pyocyanin can be applied to other virulence factors in P. aeruginosa. This study will advance our understanding of pyocyanin regulation and has the potential to serve as a roadmap for understanding how other virulence factors are regulated. The data generated from this work will aid future experimental exploration of pyocyanin and the regulation of other virulence genes in P. aeruginosa. Ultimately, the implementation of this research project will be centered around teaching and training undergraduate students in hypothesis-driven research experiences. Students will develop skills in experimental design, critical reading, and understanding primary literature, enhancing their preparation for graduate school and/or the STEM workforce.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.