# Administrative Supplement to Membrane Protein Effectors of Pathogen Interactions With Host

> **NIH NIH R35** · MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN · 2024 · $125,675

## Abstract

SUMMARY OF THE PARENT RESEARCH PROJECT
Membrane protein effectors of pathogen interactions with host. The goal of this project is to develop a
framework for understanding the way in which the human host defenses interact with microbial pathogens and
age-related stressors. Many pathogens have evolved strategies to evade innate immunity by recruiting
complement regulatory factors onto the microbial cell surface. Moreover, the ectopic deposits that form in age-
related macular degeneration (AMD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are also rich in blood proteins involved in
innate immunity. Despite the biomedical importance of these processes, mechanistic knowledge is limited. This
research project is designed to address this knowledge gap. We focus on determining the structural basis for
two central interactions of human blood proteins involved in immunity, hemostasis and cell adhesion and cell
migration: (1) interactions with outer membrane proteins from the bacterial pathogen Yersinia pestis that are
important for pathogenesis, and (2) interactions with lipids and biominerals that are relevant to the formation of
pathological deposits associated with AMD and AD. Proteins in these highly heterogenous environments play
central roles in human health but are highly under-represented in the scientific knowledge base. We aim to
bridge this fundamental knowledge gap. Addressing these problems is important for advancing comprehensive
knowledge of the disease process and for developing diagnostic, preventive, and therapeutic approaches. The
research strategy is multidisciplinary. It relies significantly on structural biology techniques, particularly solution
NMR and solid-state NMR.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11095507
- **Project number:** 3R35GM118186-10S1
- **Recipient organization:** MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN
- **Principal Investigator:** Francesca M Marassi
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $125,675
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2016-06-01 → 2026-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11095507

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11095507, Administrative Supplement to Membrane Protein Effectors of Pathogen Interactions With Host (3R35GM118186-10S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11095507. Licensed CC0.

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