Bacteria hitchhiking on fungal highways to spread in environments and bodies
Official title: DMS/NIGMS 1: Bacterial dispersal and nutrient transport on fungal highways
Funded at University of Hawaii at Manoa · NIH-11394575 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to understand how bacteria move along fungal filaments and carry molecules, which could affect infections and distribution in people and buildings.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Hawaii at Manoa NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Honolulu, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2025 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $200,839 |
| NIH project number | 5R01GM163239-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11394575 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates include individuals with interactions between bacterial exposure and fungal-associated environments, or those affected by infections involving bacterial-fungal interactions.
✕Less likely to help
People without exposure to environments where bacteria and fungi interact may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project will study how certain bacteria travel along fungal hyphae and how environmental conditions influence their movement. Researchers will use lab microcosms and soil-like systems to observe short-term bacterial motion and then model longer-term spread across nutrient gradients. The work seeks to develop predictive models of how bacteria migrate on fungal networks, which could help explain bacterial spread in real-world settings such as the human body and the built environment. Findings may reveal how dyes and other molecules co-transport with bacteria on these fungal paths.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could improve our understanding of how bacteria disseminate, potentially informing strategies to limit spread of harmful molecules in health and environmental contexts.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows that bacteria can move along fungal networks, but this project aims to build predictive models for real-world environments.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Honolulu, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Takagi, Daisuke — University of Hawaii at Manoa
- Study coordinator: Takagi, Daisuke
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.