How cholera bacteria switch from swimming to making sticky, drug-resistant biofilms
Mechanisms and Consequences of c-di-GMP Control of Motility and Biofilm Formation
This work looks at how the cholera germ switches from moving around to making sticky biofilms that help it survive and resist antibiotics.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Santa Cruz NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Santa Cruz, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11291832 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project focuses on Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium that causes cholera, and how it shifts from a motile state to a surface-attached biofilm. Scientists will measure a signaling molecule called c-di-GMP and study how proteins that make, break, and sense it affect the bacterial flagellum and pili. The team will use biophysical measurements, special molecular reporters, genetics, biochemistry, and structural analyses to define the mechanisms behind the motile-to-sessile switch. Results aim to reveal steps that could be targeted to prevent or disrupt biofilms.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This grant is laboratory-based and does not enroll patients, so there are no direct eligibility criteria for patient volunteers, though people affected by cholera could benefit from future treatments informed by these findings.
Not a fit: Individuals with non-bacterial diarrheal illnesses or unrelated medical conditions are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to prevent or break cholera biofilms, making infections easier to treat and less likely to spread.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research shows c-di-GMP controls biofilms in many bacteria, but this detailed focus on V. cholerae flagellum/pili interactions with biophysical and structural methods is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Santa Cruz, United States
- 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 below.