InSTAR Core: A Center for Arthropod Models and Microbiome Research
Official title: Insectary for Scientific Training and Advances in Research (InSTAR) Core
Funded at University of Hawaii at Manoa · NIH-11392477 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A core facility at the University of Hawaii at Manoa will support research using arthropods to study how microbiomes influence host development, health, and disease vectors, with potential benefits for human health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Hawaii at Manoa NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Honolulu, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2018 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $130,315 |
| NIH project number | 5P20GM125508-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11392477 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to patient participation; this is a research core facility supporting arthropod/microbiome studies.
✕Less likely to help
Direct patient participation is not involved in this core facility grant.
What this research studies
This grant funds a core facility that helps scientists work with insects and related organisms to understand how their gut microbes affect biology and disease transmission. It provides infrastructure, safe lab space, and collaboration support for multiple research projects. By enabling standardized models and access to medically relevant mosquito vectors and Hawaiian fruit flies, it aims to generate findings that could impact public health trends and disease control strategies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to new insights into host-microbiome interactions that inform disease prevention and health strategies in humans and vector control.
How similar studies have gone: Previous core facilities have advanced arthropod research and microbiome studies, with meaningful progress in understanding host-microbe interactions.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Honolulu, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Couvillon, Patricia a — University of Hawaii at Manoa
- Study coordinator: Couvillon, Patricia a
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.