How gut bacteria may steer feeding and behavior in a tiny worm
Official title: Molecular determinants of host-feeding manipulation and microbial colonization
Funded at Yale University · NIH-11014675 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant explores how gut bacteria influence the feeding choices and behavior of C. elegans, a simple worm often used to study biology.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,009,750 |
| NIH project number | 4DP2GM154014-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11014675 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to patients directly; uses a model organism (C. elegans) to inform broader biology relevant to host-microbe interactions.
✕Less likely to help
No direct patient benefit in this non-human model study.
What this research studies
Researchers will study how bacteria living inside a worm can affect the worm’s appetite and feeding decisions using genetically tractable worms and their natural microbes. They will establish a system that allows high-throughput behavioral screening to see how defined and natural conditions change feeding and signaling between the worm and its microbes. By combining advanced genetics with controlled microbial exposure, the project aims to uncover the signals that connect gut bacteria to host behavior in a model organism with strong human relevance.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Understanding how microbes influence feeding could lead to new ways to manage eating behaviors and gut health in humans.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work suggests microbes can modulate host behavior in simple systems, but this project advances a comprehensive, mechanistic look in a highly manipulable organism.
Where this research is happening
-
Yale University
New Haven, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Odonnell, Michael Patrick — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Odonnell, Michael Patrick
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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.