Under the mentorship of Drs. Jessica Mark Welch and Gary Borisy, ADA Forsyth postdoctoral fellow Faranak Zolfagharlookoohi describes how CLASI-FISH imaging reveals a reproducible “hedgehog” structure within healthy human dental plaque. At the surface of these hedgehogs, Streptococcus species surround filaments of Corynebacterium matruchotii and form elegant corncob microhabitats.
Because these corncobs are located at the surface of the hedgehog structure, they may represent the first layer of dental plaque where oral pathogens can gain a foothold. Mapping these communities could help us model the full architecture of healthy dental plaque biofilms and develop strategies to maintain the plaque in a healthy state and prevent disease.
