Respiration and energy use in Bacteroides bacteria
Official title: Respiration and fitness in Bacteroides
Funded at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · NIH-11345751 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Scientists will study how the gut bacterium Bacteroides uses energy, including its respiratory pathways, to understand how it grows in the gut and interacts with the host.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Troy, United States) |
| Project start | July 8, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $659,583 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI181279-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11345751 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates include people with gut conditions or researchers interested in gut microbiome biology, and could benefit indirectly from advances in microbiome-informed therapies.
✕Less likely to help
Direct patient benefit is unlikely in the short term; the study is primarily mechanistic in healthy model systems.
What this research studies
Bacteroides fragilis is a common gut bacterium, and this project explores how its internal energy systems work during oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor conditions. Researchers will use genetics, biochemistry, and mouse models to map the electron flow and proton gradients that power the bacteria, and to see how these processes affect bacterial fitness and host biology. The work aims to identify new components and electron acceptors in the respiratory chain and how they differ among Bacteroides species. By understanding these pathways, we may learn how gut microbes influence digestion and health. The findings could inform strategies to support a healthy microbiome.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal targets to modulate gut bacteria for better digestion and health.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have revealed complex energy systems in gut bacteria, with emerging evidence that these pathways influence host-microbe interactions.
Where this research is happening
-
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Barquera, Blanca — Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- Study coordinator: Barquera, Blanca
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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.