How common gut bacteria may stop C. difficile from making spores
Official title: Contact-dependent suppression of Clostridioides difficile sporulation by enterococci
Funded at Albany Medical College · NIH-11457572 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether common gut bacteria called enterococci can stop C. difficile from making hardy spores that spread infection, which could help people prone to C. difficile infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R03 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Albany Medical College NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Albany, United States) |
| Project start | May 23, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $75,653 |
| NIH project number | 7R03AI180614-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11457572 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who have had C. difficile infections, especially those with recurrent infections or who are at high risk after antibiotics or hospitalization, are the population most likely to benefit from treatments arising from this research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with unrelated gut conditions or those needing immediate clinical treatment for severe, active C. difficile infection are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this lab-focused project.
What this research studies
From a patient's point of view, scientists will study how enterococci and C. difficile interact in the lab to see if close contact prevents C. difficile from forming spores. They will screen many enterococci mutants to find the bacterial genes and surface proteins responsible for this suppression. The team will use co-culture assays and genetic and transcriptional analyses to map how these interactions work. The experiments are lab-based using bacterial cultures and models, aimed at finding targets for treatments that limit C. difficile spread.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new therapies or microbiome-based approaches that prevent C. difficile from forming spores and reduce infections and recurrences.
How similar studies have gone: Restoring healthy gut bacteria (for example with fecal microbiota transplant) has helped prevent C. difficile, but the specific contact-dependent suppression mechanism studied here is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Albany Medical College
Albany, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mckenney, Peter T — Albany Medical College
- Study coordinator: Mckenney, Peter T
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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.