Spatial Organization of the Oral Microbiome
Funded at Ada Forsyth Institute, INC. · NIH-11372137 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A research project at a leading medical institute studies how the tiny mouth bacteria are arranged in the tongue and teeth and how this arrangement affects mouth and overall health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ada Forsyth Institute, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Somerville, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 3, 2012 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $732,837 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DE022586-15 |
| Project ID | NIH-11372137 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Healthy adults or volunteers who can participate in nitrate supplementation and saliva collection studies.
✕Less likely to help
People unable to participate in dietary nitrate studies or who have conditions preventing safe participation in imaging or biofilm experiments.
What this research studies
This project looks at how bacteria in the mouth organize themselves at the micron scale and how this structure relates to their functions. The team will use advanced imaging techniques to map biofilm architecture and test how saliva nitrate levels influence the mouth's microbial layout. They will also explore live-cell imaging of multispecies biofilms to understand how these communities change over time. The goal is to connect microscopic patterns of bacteria to real-world effects on health, including blood pressure through nitrate metabolism.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Understanding the mouth's microbial organization could lead to new ways to support oral and systemic health, including cardiovascular benefits through saliva and nitrate pathways.
How similar studies have gone: Previous imaging of oral biofilms has shown meaningful insights into community structure and function; this project extends those methods to live-cell dynamics and host interactions.
Where this research is happening
-
Ada Forsyth Institute, INC.
Somerville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mark Welch, Jessica Leigh — Ada Forsyth Institute, INC.
- Study coordinator: Mark Welch, Jessica Leigh
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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.