Grants and Publications

Recent Grant Awards

We are thrilled to be able to share the hard work of our scientists. Please see recent grants received below.

We update the grants on a monthly basis, please check back to see recent additions.

Domestication and characterization of TM7- the most elusive oral phylum

Principal Investigator: Xuesong He

This research project aims to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the unique biology, ecology, and pathogenesis of Saccharibacteria (also known as TM7), a group of ubiquitous members of the human oral microbiome that have an intriguing “episymbiotic” lifestyle and have been dubbed “microbial dark matter”. This project has been continuously supported by NIDCR for the past 10 years and was selected for funding for another 5 years. Built on the knowledge gained from the previous funding cycles and the newly developed molecular tools, Dr. He’s team, in collaboration with Dr. Bor from ADA Forsyth Institute and Dr. McLean at the University of Washington, will continue to achieve a mechanistic-level understanding of the detailed molecular processes required for bacterial episymbiosis in the human microbiome. The successful completion of the project will provide a fundamental mechanistic understanding of the episymbiotic interaction between TM7 and their hosts, setting a solid foundation with key enabling toolsets and molecular level information to ultimately understand their observed in vivo persistence in disease, impact on the pathogenesis of oral bacteria and potential to modulate the microbial ecology within the human microbiome.

Spatial Organization of the Oral Microbiome

Principal Investigator: Jessica Mark Welch

ADA Forsyth scientists Jessica Mark Welch and Gary Borisy, along with their colleague Alex Valm at MBL, pioneered the field of imaging in microbiology, developing the first technology (called CLASI-FISH) able to capture images of bacteria with enough detail to identify spatial relationships within the communities living in the oral microbiome. Now they are taking this technology to the next level, developing a method of imaging that can capture live samples over time. “This is super exciting because they will be moving so that we can see them grow and figure out which bacteria are growing and how fast they are growing relative to where they are,” said Jessica Mark Welch, the PI on the project.

Mechanisms of Pro-Resolving Mediators in Periodontal Regeneration

Principal Investigator: Dr. Thomas Van Dyke

Dr. Thomas Van Dyke, in collaboration with Dr. Hae Lin Jang, at the Center for Engineered Therapeutics, received an RO1 grant to test a novel therapeutic addressing bone loss from periodontal disease. The project will 3D print lost bone using novel biomaterials that induce rapid bone growth in the grafted area. While the focus will initially be on periodontal disease, the implications of this treatment could be far-reaching, extending to large facial bone loss from catastrophic injury and cancer.

K99/R00 career transition award

Principal Investigator: Ning Yu

NIDCR has awarded the prestigious K99/R00 career transition award to ADA Forsyth researcher Ning Yu for her periodontal research. Dr. Yu studies how the body’s early immune defense system influences the oral microbiome in a mouse model of periodontitis.

Working with a special mouse strain that resolves inflammation by engaging the specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) pathways, Dr. Yu and her team will explore how a healthy immune system protects the body from gum disease by promoting a healthy oral microbiome, with the goal of applying those lessons to future therapeutic interventions.

Recent Publications

July 20, 2024 – Microbiome

Persistent enrichment of multidrug-resistant Klebsiella in oral and nasal communities during long-term starvation

Jett Liu, Nell Spencer, Daniel R. Utter, Alex S. Grossman, Lei Lei, Nídia Castro dos Santos, Wenyuan Shi, Jonathon L. Baker, Hatice Hasturk, Xuesong He & Batbileg Bor

Published in: Microbiome

The new study finds that oral Klebsiella, a dangerous and multidrug resistant pathogen, thrives in nutrition deprived oral polymicrobial communities, which can often found in hospital settings. When in these “starvation environments, Klebsiella quickly dominates the community, feeding off the other bacteria that die quickly when deprived of nutrition. Klebsiella is one of the top three pathogens responsible for HAIs, including pneumonia, bacteremia and UTI. The groundbreaking research conducted by AFI scientists offers new insights into the transmission and spread of hospital-acquired infections, shedding light on why they are so difficult to combat and paving the way for more effective prevention and treatment strategies.

Press Release

June 8, 2024 – Current Research in Microbial Sciences

An outer membrane vesicle specific lipoprotein promotes Porphyromonas gingivalis aggregation on red blood cells

Christina M Rothenberger, Manda Yu, Hey-Min Kim, Yee-Wai Cheung, Yi-Wei Chang, Mary Ellen Davey

Published in: Current Research in Microbial Sciences

Porphyromonas gingivalis uses various mechanisms to actively interact with and promote the hydrolysis of red blood cells (RBCs) to obtain iron in the form of heme. The study found that RBCs elicit aggregate and matrix formation of P. gingivalis and that this process is promoted by an OMV-specific lipoprotein. This is particularly significant because the results support the idea that RBCs can serve as a transport vehicle for P. gingivalis aggregates, aiding in their systemic spread from the oral cavity.