# NMR-resolved dynamics of C. difficile metabolism

> **NIH NIH R03** · BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL · 2024 · $89,500

## Abstract

Abstract: Clostridioides difficile is the most prevalent cause of hospital associated infections
(HAIs). As an obligately anaerobic pathogen, C. difficile can consume diverse carbon sources to
support gut colonization and infection. In particular, glycolytic and Stickland amino acid
fermentation pathways have been shown to support rapid growth, a finding that also occurs after
antibiotic treatment elevates availability of these nutrient sources by removing competitive
commensal species. However, the metabolic pathways of obligately anaerobic bacteria remain
ill-defined, limiting capacity to identify preventive and therapeutic interventions that target C.
difficile’s core physiology. To address these limitations, we will employ carbon-13 (13C) NMR of
C. difficile’s dynamic metabolism to inform a genome-scale metabolic model and clearly define
metabolic integration points among energy-generating glycolytic and amino acid fermentation
pathways. Findings will be evaluated in targeted genetic mutants and with combinations of
fermentable carbon sources to evaluate their impact on pathogen growth and virulence.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10739815
- **Project number:** 5R03AI174158-02
- **Recipient organization:** BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** LYNN BRY
- **Activity code:** R03 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $89,500
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-11-14 → 2024-10-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10739815

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10739815, NMR-resolved dynamics of C. difficile metabolism (5R03AI174158-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10739815. Licensed CC0.

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