Developing methods to recover and analyze human viruses from stool samples
Official title: Establishing laboratory methods for quantitative recovery of diverse DNA and RNA viral sequences from human biosamples
Funded at University of California at Davis · NIH-10986854 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is working on new ways to find and understand viruses in human stool samples, helping researchers learn more about how these viruses change over time, so we can better understand their impact on health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California at Davis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Davis, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $548,660 |
| NIH project number | 1U01DE034198-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-10986854 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for participation include individuals providing stool samples for virome analysis, particularly those with gastrointestinal conditions or infections.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not provide stool samples or those without viral infections may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on creating new laboratory techniques and computational methods to accurately identify and characterize viruses present in human biosamples, particularly stool. The team will optimize methods for recovering and quantifying both RNA and DNA viruses, addressing challenges such as viral isolation, detection, and contamination. By applying these techniques to a longitudinal cohort, the research aims to enhance our understanding of the human virome and its dynamics over time.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved diagnostic methods for viral infections and a better understanding of the human virome's role in health and disease.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown success in applying viromics methods to soil microbial communities, indicating potential for similar advancements in human virome analysis.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California at Davis
Davis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Emerson, Joanne — University of California at Davis
- Study coordinator: Emerson, Joanne
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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.