Anti-Infective Resistance and Targets – AIRT

Topics

• Mechanisms of the origin and spreading of anti-infective drug resistance ranging from molecular to population-level approaches
• Environmental regulators of drug resistance, including pathogen interactions with hosts, microbiomes, and biofilms
• Origin and spread of drug resistance through evolution, nature, ecology, agriculture, pathogen interactions, and infection control practices
• Strategies for preventing resistance, including identification of markers of drug resistance
• Initial identification and characterization of novel anti-infective drug targets if the major emphasis is on drug resistance mechanisms.

Shared Interests and Overlaps

• There are shared interests in infectious disease drug development with Drug Discovery and Molecular Pharmacology A (DMPA), and with Discovery and Optimization of Immunotherapeutics and Biological Therapeutics [DCAI (82)].  Applications that emphasize drug discovery may be reviewed in DMPA or DCAI (82). Applications that emphasize the initial characterization of drug targets with a major emphasis on resistance mechanisms may be reviewed in AIRT.
• There are shared interests in biological studies of pathogens with study sections in the Immunology and Infectious Diseases A,B, and C (IIDA, IIDB, IIDC) review branches. Applications that focus on the basic biology or pathogenesis of infectious agents may be reviewed in the relevant pathogen-focused study section, including Bacterial Virulence (BV), Bacterial-Host Interactions (BHI), Molecular and Cellular Biology of Virus Infection (MCV), Viral Dynamics and Transmission (VDT), and Pathogenic Eukaryotes (PTHE). Applications that focus on resistance mechanisms may be reviewed in AIRT.
• There are shared interests in physiological studies of bacteria with Prokaryotic Cell and Molecular Biology (PCMB). Applications that focus on understanding fundamental bacterial processes may be reviewed in PCMB. Applications that address the utility of a physiological process in resistance mechanisms may be reviewed in AIRT.
• There are shared interests in pathogen evolution with Genetic Variation and Evolution (GVE). Applications that emphasize natural genetic variation in the context of pathogen physiology may be reviewed in GVE. Applications that emphasize drug resistance mechanisms may be reviewed in AIRT.
• There are shared interests in the spread of drug-resistant pathogens with Etiology, Diagnostic, Intervention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases (EDIT). Applications that focus on translational and applied research may be reviewed in EDIT. Applications that emphasize the pathogen physiology underlying resistance may be reviewed in AIRT.
• There are shared interests in population-level analyses of drug resistance with Population-based Research in Infectious Disease (PRID). Applications that focus on human populations may be reviewed in PRID. Applications that emphasize studies of microbe populations may be reviewed in AIRT.