The “TB Terminator” — Dr. William Jacobs has received a grant totaling $2.4 million over four years from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The grant will support his research aimed at developing new treatments for individuals infected with drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB). Each year, TB accounts for roughly 2 million deaths worldwide. The emergence of drug-resistant strains of TB has created an urgent need for faster-acting antibiotics that have fewer side effects than therapies currently used. Dr. Jacobs and colleagues will screen compounds for their ability to inhibit biofilm formation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that causes TB, representing a novel and promising approach for treatment. Dr. Jacobs is professor of microbiology & immunology and of genetics at Einstein, as well as Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. He was recently inducted into the National Academy of Sciences.
Posted on: Wednesday, July 17, 2013