Structure-guided modular phage engineering

• Project/Area Number: 24K01675
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 38020:Applied microbiology-related
• Research Institution: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University
• Principal Investigator: Wolf Matthias 沖縄科学技術大学院大学, 生体分子電子顕微鏡解析ユニット, 教授 (90630947)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): AYALA・HERNANDEZ Rafael 沖縄科学技術大学院大学, 生体分子電子顕微鏡解析ユニット, ポストドクトラルスカラー (00912601)
• Project Period (FY): 2024-04-01 – 2027-03-31
• Project Status: Granted (Fiscal Year 2024)
• Budget Amount: ¥18,590,000 (Direct Cost: ¥14,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥4,290,000); Fiscal Year 2026: ¥5,460,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,260,000); Fiscal Year 2025: ¥5,720,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,320,000); Fiscal Year 2024: ¥7,410,000 (Direct Cost: ¥5,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,710,000)
• Keywords: bacteriophage / virus structure / cryo electron microscopy / protein engineering

Outline of Research at the Start

The rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a major public health concern. Bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, offer an alternative treatment method. They kill bacteria differently than antibiotics and can be engineered for specific targets. This project aims to understand the structures of T4 and T5 phages and use this knowledge to modify bacteriophages to target specific bacterial strains. This could help combat hard-to-treat human, animal, and marine pathogens. The goal is a modular system for designing bacteriophages against specific bacterial threats.