Elucidating chemical signals that shape multicellularity and infectious disease transmission
Official title: Elucidating Chemical Signaling Mechanisms that Regulate Multicellularity and the Transmission of Infectious Disease
Funded at Trustees of Indiana University · NIH-11384348 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are studying how chemicals used for cell communication in microbes influence the way diseases spread and how multicellular organisms develop.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Trustees of Indiana University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Bloomington, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2020 |
| Project end | July 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $412,169 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM138376-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11384348 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to a specific patient population in this grant description.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals not directly involved in these basic science investigations would not expect immediate clinical benefit.
What this research studies
This project looks at how chemical signals control interactions inside communities of microbes and between microbes and their hosts, with a focus on how these signals may have shaped the origin of multicellular life and disease processes. Scientists from chemistry, biochemistry, and biology will identify the chemical messengers involved in forming multicellular structures and in transmitting infectious traits. The work uses modern model organisms related to early animal evolution to uncover these signaling languages. The aim is to understand fundamental biology that could inform future strategies against cancers and other diseases linked to cellular communication.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Understanding chemical communication could lead to new approaches for preventing or treating diseases linked to abnormal cell signaling and multicellularity.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work in microbial signaling and multicellularity has yielded key insights, suggesting this approach could reveal important, translatable biological principles.
Where this research is happening
-
Trustees of Indiana University
Bloomington, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gerdt, Joseph P. — Trustees of Indiana University
- Study coordinator: Gerdt, Joseph P.
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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.