How bacteria switch from swimming to forming biofilms and spreading cholera
Official title: Vibrio cholerae c-diGMP signaling: Motile to biofilm transition and transmission
Funded at University of California Santa Cruz · NIH-11377976 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A scientist at UC Santa Cruz is studying how the cholera bacteria use a small signaling molecule to switch between moving and sticking together, which helps the bacteria infect people.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Santa Cruz NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Santa Cruz, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2013 |
| Project end | June 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $756,150 |
| NIH project number | 5R37AI102584-12 |
| Project ID | NIH-11377976 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Humans are not the subjects here; the work focuses on bacterial mechanisms relevant to infections in people.
✕Less likely to help
Direct patient enrollment is not involved in this grant; benefits would come from advancing knowledge that could inform future therapies or prevention strategies.
What this research studies
This project will explore how the signaling molecule c-diGMP controls when Vibrio cholerae moves, attaches to surfaces, and forms biofilms during infection. Researchers will use structural and binding studies to understand how key proteins are activated, and advanced microscopy to watch how bacteria behave when they attach and form communities. They will also combine genetic and biochemical approaches to map how surface attachment leads to biofilm matrix production and changes in motility and division. A second aim will examine c-diGMP signaling during actual infection to see how these processes unfold in a host-like environment.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Understanding these signals could lead to new ways to prevent or disrupt cholera transmission by targeting biofilm formation and infection dynamics.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has shown that c-diGMP signaling governs biofilm formation in bacteria, with ongoing research expanding on these mechanisms in Vibrio cholerae.
Where this research is happening
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University of California Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yildiz, Havva Fitnat — University of California Santa Cruz
- Study coordinator: Yildiz, Havva Fitnat
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.