NCInnovation Helps UNC Asheville Push Antibiotic Research to Next Stage
At UNC Asheville, two researchers are tackling one of the world’s most urgent health threats: antibiotic resistance. Thanks to NCInnovation’s support, they’ve been able to move their promising antibacterial molecule closer to real-world application, progress that would have been nearly impossible without outside help.
“This project simply couldn’t have advanced without NCInnovation,” says Dr. Ryan Steed, Associate Professor of Biochemistry. “There’s no way a primarily undergraduate institution like ours could have handled intellectual property development on its own. NCI made it possible for us to protect our discoveries and position them for the next stage.”
For Dr. Steed and his colleague, Dr. Amanda Wolfe, the research has a dual mission: advance potential therapies while immersing undergraduates in authentic scientific discovery. Because UNC Asheville is a primarily undergraduate institution, every stage of the work—from designing experiments to testing molecules and analyzing results—is carried out alongside students.
“By 2050, antibiotic resistance is projected to be the number one cause of death worldwide if current trends continue,” says Dr. Wolfe, Professor of Chemistry. “Our labs give undergraduates the chance to be part of research that really matters. Every test moves us closer to answers, and our students are in the thick of it.”
The collaboration between Wolfe and Steed began in 2017 in an interdisciplinary lab course. What started as class projects has grown into a sustained research program focused on designing and testing new antibacterial compounds. But progress in the lab alone isn’t enough. Without securing intellectual property, discoveries rarely make it past the academic stage.
That’s where NCInnovation stepped in. Its grant gave Wolfe and Steed the resources to protect their initial IP, a crucial first step in attracting industry or clinical partners. The next stage is securing funding for preclinical studies—safety, efficacy, and biological testing—that could lead to industry collaboration and eventual clinical trials.
In the meantime, the impact on students is undeniable. Many become co-authors on peer-reviewed papers or present their findings at conferences. They learn resilience and critical thinking, and leave with real research credentials that prepare them for graduate and medical school.
“This project shows that with strategic investment, even smaller campuses can contribute to solving global problems,” Dr. Wolfe says. “It proves that North Carolina’s universities are a powerful network—not just the flagship schools, but also the liberal arts institutions where undergraduates are engaged in discovery from day one. NCInnovation’s support helps us turn potential into progress.”
For more information about the Wolfe Lab and their work, see here and here.
