Foundation for the Oral Microbiome and Metagenome
Official title: A Foundation for the Oral Microbiome and Metagenome
Funded at Ada Forsyth Institute, INC. · NIH-11607776 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A research initiative to create and share high-quality genomic data and bacterial isolates from the mouth so scientists can understand how oral microbes affect overall health, including brain aging and diseases like Alzheimer's.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ada Forsyth Institute, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Somerville, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | April 1, 2006 |
| Project end | September 15, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $476,883 |
| NIH project number | 2R56DE016937-21 |
| Project ID | NIH-11607776 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals with oral health issues or systemic conditions relating to cardiovascular health, diabetes, or neurodegenerative disease may indirectly benefit as research tools and data improve.
✕Less likely to help
There may be no direct benefit to patients from participating in this specific grant, as it focuses on database and microbial cultivation development.
What this research studies
This project aims to expand and curate the Human Oral Microbiome Database, bring previously uncultivable oral microbes into culture, and generate reference-quality genomes. By making these resources available, researchers can explore how oral bacteria influence conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and potentially Alzheimer’s-related health pathways. The work will also examine phages and mobile genetic elements that carry antibiotic resistance genes in the oral ecosystem. The grant supports data synthesis, enabling in vitro studies and cross-study collaboration to deepen our understanding of the oral microbiome’s role in health and disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from accelerated discoveries linking oral bacteria to systemic health, potentially informing prevention and treatment strategies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows that expanding microbial databases and cultivating previously uncultivable species accelerates findings across diseases; this project builds on that success.
Where this research is happening
-
Ada Forsyth Institute, INC.
Somerville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mark Welch, Jessica Leigh — Ada Forsyth Institute, INC.
- Study coordinator: Mark Welch, Jessica Leigh
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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.