KENNESAW, Ga. | Sep 30, 2025

A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that bacterial diseases remain a leading cause of death worldwide, with five strains accounting for nearly 55 percent of all bacterial infection deaths.

Treatments for those diseases, however, remain extremely underfunded and under-resourced globally.

Seeking a potential cure, Kennesaw State University Professor of Biochemistry Thomas Leeper has earned a two-year, $200,000 through KSU’s Office of Research Grand Challenges initiative to study and produce antibacterial treatments that target drug-resistant bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus, more commonly known as MRSA. In addition to treating bacterial infections, Leeper hopes to raise awareness of those ailments.

“We've done a really good job in general with treating most cancers, but we have dropped the ball when it comes to treating microbial disease,” he said. “Bacterial disease and viral infections should scare the heck out of people, and we hope to fix that.”

"The project seeks to use proteins to fight harmful bacteria. Some types of drug-resistant bacteria can enter and infect eukaryotic cells, allowing those pathogens to evade common antibiotics. Leeper is attempting to hijack the natural systems that host cells use to bring in nutrients to target these intracellular pathogens with novel antimicrobial proteins."

“We're always looking for new antibiotics, but resistance is outpacing it,” he said. “My lab has been able to anticipate this problem by looking at strategies that would overcome the resistance-developing mechanisms.”

The project will involve student researchers, and Leeper said the grant money will go toward building a team of seven undergraduates as well as a post-doctoral researcher.

Leeper is also nearing the end of a five-year National Institutes of Health grant investigating drugs to treat cystic fibrosis. He said the internal grant, in terms of personnel and equipment, will boost the laboratory’s capacity to advance this overall study of effective medicinal treatments.

Leeper’s co-investigators on the project are Jonathan McMurry and Anton Bryantsev. McMurry, a professor of chemistry in KSU’s College of Science and Mathematics, has a process in his laboratory that allows experimental delivery of proteins into bacteria. Bryantsev, an associate professor of developmental biology, works with fruit flies, which are model organisms for bacterial infections and can provide insights into the effectiveness of these proteins.

– Story by Dave Shelles

Photo provided

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.