Natural compounds made by mouth bacteria
Bioactive natural product discovery from human oral microbes
This project looks for chemical compounds produced by common mouth bacteria that could affect oral health for people with or at risk for cavities.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Berkeley NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Berkeley, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11266198 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will mine genetic data from oral bacteria and grow key species in the lab to find molecules they produce. They will isolate and determine the chemical structures of those molecules using analytic chemistry and bioinformatics. The team will test how these compounds influence biofilm formation, bacterial competition, and interactions with human oral cells. The focus is on Streptococcus mutans (linked to cavities) and Streptococcus salivarius (a common probiotic), with the goal of linking specific molecules to oral health or disease.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants would be people with dental caries or volunteers willing to provide saliva or other oral samples for analysis.
Not a fit: People with health issues unrelated to oral bacteria or those unwilling to provide oral samples are unlikely to see direct benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new ways to prevent or treat cavities or to probiotic-based products that improve oral health.
How similar studies have performed: A few bioactive molecules from oral microbes have been reported, but most predicted compounds remain uncharacterized, so this approach is exploratory yet builds on recent genomic findings.
Where this research is happening
Berkeley, United States
- University of California Berkeley — Berkeley, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhang, Wenjun — University of California Berkeley
- Study coordinator: Zhang, Wenjun
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.