How dental plaque structure changes when gums go from healthy to disease
Official title: Biofilm Spatial Structure in the Transition from Health to Periodontal Disease
Funded at State University of New York at Albany · NIH-11143120 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how groups of bacteria in plaque at the gum line change in adults with healthy gums, gingivitis, or chronic periodontitis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | State University of New York at Albany NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Albany, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $416,772 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DE031213-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11143120 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults (21+) with gingivitis or chronic periodontitis who can provide extracted teeth or participate in dental visits at the study site.
✕Less likely to help
People under 21, individuals without gum disease, or those not providing dental samples or undergoing extraction are unlikely to participate or benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
Researchers will collect extracted teeth and use fluorescent probes to image intact plaque at the gum margin and identify up to 18 different types of bacteria. They will compare the 3D arrangement of microbes in teeth from people with gingivitis and periodontitis and in dog models to find common structural features of harmful biofilms. The team will also map which genes are active inside long filamentous bacterial cells when those cells touch specific partner species. Together, these methods aim to link plaque architecture to early inflammation that leads to gum disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to detect or prevent gum disease by targeting the specific plaque structures that trigger inflammation.
How similar studies have gone: Fluorescent imaging of dental plaque has been used before, but combining detailed spatial gene mapping with direct human-to-canine structural comparisons is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
-
State University of New York at Albany
Albany, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Valm, Alex M — State University of New York at Albany
- Study coordinator: Valm, Alex M
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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.