Stopping Severe Diarrhea by Understanding Bacteria
Global regulators converge to orchestrate metabolism, biofilm, and pathogenesis
This research aims to understand how bacteria like Vibrio cholerae cause severe diarrheal disease, hoping to find simple dietary changes that could prevent or lessen the illness.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston Children's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11030827 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Diarrheal disease is a major health concern, especially in areas with limited resources. To cause illness, bacteria must sense signals in the intestine and change their behavior, affecting both their metabolism and how they cause disease. We are working to uncover these critical intestinal signals and the bacterial systems they activate. By understanding these processes, we hope to develop straightforward dietary adjustments that could help prevent or reduce the severity of diarrheal disease.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This foundational research does not directly involve patients, but future studies stemming from this work could benefit individuals at risk for or suffering from severe diarrheal diseases.
Not a fit: Patients not affected by bacterial diarrheal diseases, particularly those caused by pathogens with similar metabolic pathways to Vibrio cholerae, would not directly benefit from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new dietary strategies to prevent or reduce the impact of severe diarrheal diseases like cholera.
How similar studies have performed: This research builds upon previous findings from the first funding period of this grant, which explored the role of a key bacterial regulator in metabolism and virulence.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Boston Children's Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Watnick, Paula I — Boston Children's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Watnick, Paula I
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.