News

In a newly published study, ADA Forsyth Institute Associate Professor Batbileg Bor, Ph.D., and postdoctoral fellow Deepak Chouhan, Ph.D., led a research team to a fundamental discovery about Saccharibacteria, revealing mechanistic insights into their function in the oral microbiome, their role in immune modulation, and, importantly, their contribution to gum disease (periodontitis).  Saccharibacteria are ultrasmall bacteria that live on the surface of larger bacteria hosts, forming a relationship…

Introducing dentech-Asia Panel 2:  Navigating the US Dental Innovation Ecosystem   The ADA Forsyth Institute’s first international oral health summit, dentech-Asia, will offer in-depth discussion from key members of the U.S. dental investment and innovation ecosystem.  The conference’s second panel discussion offers a roadmap to scale up ventures in oral health by tapping into the lucrative U.S. market.  Influential speakers will address each key barrier to unique dental markets…

ADA Forsyth’s international oral health summit, dentech-Asia, will serve as a bridge between the rich environment for oral health innovation in Asia and the United States’ investment ecosystem. On May 11-12, attendees will network with top leaders in oral health based in both Asia and the West.  The event’s first panel discussion will feature the following academic leaders of high-impact dental schools across Asia to discuss innovative approaches to oral…

New partnership powers biotech entrepreneurship in the Boston area  Somerville, Mass., 04/24/2025 – The ADA Forsyth Institute, a leader in dental and craniofacial research and oral health technology development, and the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council (MassBio), the driving force behind Massachusetts’ life sciences ecosystem, have partnered to accelerate development of biotech innovations shaping the future of oral and overall health. ADA Forsyth and MassBio signed a memorandum of…

The ADA Forsyth Institute joined 12 other highly innovative Massachusetts-based companies at Gillette Stadium as part of MassEcon’s 22nd annual Team Massachusetts Economic Impact Awards. ADA Forsyth won the Gold Award in the Greater Boston Region, recognizing the positive economic impact generated by our 2025 relocation to a state-of-the-art, LEED Platinum facility at 100 Chestnut Street, Somerville. The move brought more than $100 million in research funding, a growing workforce,…

Renowned microbiology researcher has advanced the field of oral biology, performing groundbreaking work in uncovering “microbial dark matter” and mechanistic insight into the oral microbiome  Somerville, Mass., 03/26/2026 – Professor Xuesong He, D.D.S., Ph.D., of the ADA Forsyth Institute has been named a Distinguished Scientist in Research in Oral Biology by the International Association of Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR). “It is truly…

Porphyromonas gingivalis, an oral microbe notorious for its role in the progression of gum disease, is one of the most studied members of the human oral microbiome. A new ADA Forsyth Institute study begins knocking down another domino in recognizing P. gingivalis’ ability to forge its niche below the gum line, contributing to periodontitis progression, chronic infection, and ultimately, an effect on systemic health. The paper, published in the Journal of Oral Microbiology, demonstrates that P. gingivalis uses sphingolipids – unique membrane lipids that…

13 GROWING MASSACHUSETTS COMPANIES NAMED WINNERS OF MASSECON IMPACT AWARDS Honoring Facility Expansion and Investment, Additional Jobs, ED&I Practices and Community Engagement Watertown, Mass. – MassEcon, the state’s private sector partner in promoting business growth in Massachusetts, today announced its 22nd Annual Team Massachusetts Economic Impact Award winners, recognizing 13 companies, including the ADA Forsyth…

TM7x, a strain of Saccharibacteria, is an ultra-small bacterium that lives in the human mouth. As an episymbiont, it depends on its host microbe, Schaalia odontolytica, for essential nutrients, making it highly specialized and seemingly incapable of surviving on its own.  Scientists at the ADA Forsyth Institute first cultured this ultra-small, episymbiotic bacterial type Saccharibacteria about a decade ago. Despite its discovery, the mechanisms that allow it to…

Clinical trial conducted at The ADA Forsyth Institute showed proof-of-concept for IR Scientific’s Sensi-IP technology  Somerville, Mass., 02/02/2025 – A clinical trial conducted by the ADA Forsyth Institute, a global leader in oral health research, demonstrated significant reduction in dentin hypersensitivity (DH) from a novel bioactive glass incorporated in a toothpaste. The first-in-human trial established the safety and efficacy of Sensi-IP, a bioactive glass technology developed by IR Scientific. Researchers…

After five consecutive years of convening the oral health ecosystem in the Boston area, the ADA Forsyth Institute sets its sights on Asia.  Dentech-Asia, taking place May 11-12, 2026, in Seoul, South Korea, will convene Asia-based innovators, investors, and industry and academic figures in oral health. The conference will be presented in collaboration with Seoul National University, following in the footsteps of dentech 2025 and a successful ongoing collaboration between the…

Root canal treatments presently offer the most effective treatment for dental infection. However, for decades, endodontists and researchers have recognized the limitations of conventional therapy and searched for novel, biologically based approaches rooted in regenerative medicine.  Researchers at the ADA Forsyth Institute have identified, for the first time, a population of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) that originate at the bottom tip of the tooth, known as…

For 27 years at the ADA Forsyth Institute, Tsute “George” Chen, Ph.D., has supported scientists throughout the world with DNA sequencing and data analysis. He’s spent his entire career at ADA Forsyth, rising through the ranks from Assistant Investigator to Research Professor.   “I look forward to exploring more data analysis approaches for oral microbiome studies…

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 oral health innovation world convened online and in person at ADA Forsyth’s new headquarters in Somerville, Massachusetts at dentech 2025 on Oct. 9 and 10. Welcoming investors, startup companies, clinicians, and other industry leaders, the conference centered on innovation in dentistry and opportunities to revolutionize patient care. This year’s summit featured a select group…