New Ways to Understand Your Gut Microbes
Official title: Developing Next-Generation Physiology approaches for human gut microbiome research
Funded at Montana State University - Bozeman · NIH-11143111 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project aims to develop advanced techniques to closely observe the individual living organisms in your gut and understand how they function.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Montana State University - Bozeman NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Bozeman, United States) |
| Project start | August 8, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $360,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM147166-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11143111 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients who have provided or may provide gut biopsy samples for research could indirectly contribute to or benefit from the foundational knowledge gained from this work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not interested in or not able to participate in studies involving gut biopsies would not directly benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
Researchers are developing cutting-edge methods to study the tiny organisms in your gut right where they live, within your body, rather than growing them in a lab. This involves using advanced tools to examine individual cells from gut biopsy samples. The goal is to uncover how these microbes work and interact within your digestive system, providing a much clearer picture of the gut microbiome than previously possible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to a much deeper understanding of gut health and disease, potentially opening doors for new ways to treat digestive conditions.
How similar studies have gone: This project introduces advanced, currently underutilized technologies to the human gut microbiome field, suggesting a novel approach for this area of study.
Where this research is happening
-
Montana State University - Bozeman
Bozeman, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hatzenpichler, Roland — Montana State University - Bozeman
- Study coordinator: Hatzenpichler, Roland
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Multi-agent AI to annotate enzymes in the human gut microbiome
A team at a major university will build an AI system that automatically curates and labels the functions of enzymes in the human gut microbiome to speed up understanding their health effects.
-
Mapping how gut bacteria transform drugs
Scientists will study how the gut microbiome changes thousands of drugs into new forms, which could affect how well a medicine works or whether it causes side effects.
-
Aflatoxin exposure and child growth in Guatemala
A study in rural Guatemala will track how exposure to aflatoxin relates to growth and gut health in young children.
-
Gut bacteria that can make cancer immunotherapy less effective
This project will see if reducing chronic inflammation driven by certain gut bacteria can help immunotherapy work better for people whose cancers have stopped responding.
-
How gut bacteria affect how cancer drugs work
This project looks at how the bacteria in your gut might change how well and with what side effects fluoropyrimidine cancer drugs like 5-FU work in people.
-
Gut bacteria and cancer drugs: how your gut may change chemotherapy effectiveness
This project studies how the gut microbiome might affect how well certain chemotherapy drugs work and their side effects in people with cancer.
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.