# Core-002

> **NIH NIH U19** · GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $82,934

## Abstract

The overall goal of the Protein Core is to first provide atomic resolution structural and functional insight into the
design and engineering of the proposed protein antigens from Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The second aim is to
produce the antigens with high quality and quantity in an efficient and effective manner. We aim to provide high-resolution
structural information using X-ray Crystallography and/or Cryo-Electron Microscopy and we plan to
express and purify large quantities of pure protein using our recently discovered SLAM protein secretion system.
Proteins residing the outer membrane surface of Gram-negative bacterial pathogens provide a valuable target
for the generation of antimicrobial therapeutics and prophylactics. In pathogens, many of the outer membrane
proteins are required for either nutrient acquisition or host immune evasion and therefore are essential for host
colonization or during invasive disease. At the bacterial cell surface, these outer membrane proteins provide
surface accessible epitopes that can serve as antigens in the implementation of vaccines against these
pathogens—thus an understanding of their structure and function provides useful insights into the development
of new therapeutics against Gram-negative pathogens.
Dr. Moraes’ program vision is to provide an avenue to develop and produce new vaccine antigens and a novel
vaccine production system. The microbiological tools, instrumentation and infrastructure available to Dr. Moraes
and his collaborators allow him to be productive and successful at contributing to the structural biology of
membrane proteins particularly as is relates to bacterial pathogenesis and vaccine design.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10330126
- **Project number:** 5U19AI144182-03
- **Recipient organization:** GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** CYNTHIA N CORNELISSEN
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $82,934
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-03-25 → 2024-02-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10330126

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10330126, Core-002 (5U19AI144182-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10330126. Licensed CC0.

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