Gut microbiome changes that let harmless bacteria become infections
Project 3: Functional Microbiome and Host Signatures in Transition from Commensal to pathogen
Researchers are building microbiome-based tools to find hospitalized patients whose gut bacteria make them more likely to get antibiotic-resistant infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Methodist Hospital Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11159506 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The team will analyze gut microbiome and host samples from hospitalized infants and adults to look for patterns that let normally harmless bacteria turn into antibiotic-resistant pathogens. They will focus on organisms like C. difficile, VRE, carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella, and ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae that often colonize the intestines before causing infection. Using detailed functional profiling and host signatures, they plan to create risk algorithms that flag patients with 'immature' or missing protective gut species. The goal is to identify people who might benefit from preventive measures or tailored antibiotic use.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Hospitalized infants and adults—especially those recently exposed to antibiotics or at risk for hospital-acquired infections—would be the most likely candidates.
Not a fit: People who are healthy and living in the community without recent hospitalization or antibiotic exposure are unlikely to be eligible or directly benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help clinicians identify and protect patients at high risk for dangerous antibiotic-resistant gut infections.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies have linked loss of protective gut species to C. difficile and VRE, but combining functional host-microbiome signatures to predict multiple resistant pathogens is largely new.
Where this research is happening
Houston, United States
- Methodist Hospital Research Institute — Houston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Savidge, Tor C. — Methodist Hospital Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Savidge, Tor C.
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 below.