NIH renews support of studies of bacterial metabolism and physiology

The National Institutes of Health awarded $3.5M to UGA faculty member Jorge Escalante to continue his studies of the metabolic capabilities of prokaryotic cells. 

The award is known as the ‘Maximizing Investigator’s Research Award’ (MIRA), which has a duration of 5 years. Escalante, UGA Foundation Distinguished Professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences department of microbiology, received his first MIRA in 2019 and successfully renewed it earlier this year for an additional 5 years of support. 

The Escalante laboratory is currently working in the following research areas: i) regulation of protein function by chemical modifications, ii) vitamin B₁₂ biosynthesis, iii) elucidation of function of proteins involved in gene expression, and iv) survival mechanisms in energy-starved cells.  

"The new MIRA will support work that will allow us to further understand complex physiologic projects that were initiated at the inception of my research group," Escalante said. "The efforts of former and current members of my lab are the foundation of the work we are currently pursuing, and we are looking forward to unveiling new and exciting aspects of prokaryotic metabolism and physiology."

Image: Professor Jorge Escalante