Understanding how individual bacteria behave in communities
Official title: Single-cell transcriptomics of complex bacterial communities
Funded at Institute for Systems Biology · NIH-11136315 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project aims to understand how individual bacteria in complex groups, like those found in the body, behave differently from each other.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Institute for Systems Biology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | July 8, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $470,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM150994-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11136315 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This foundational research does not directly involve patient participation, but future studies building on this work might seek individuals with specific bacterial infections or microbiome-related conditions.
✕Less likely to help
Patients seeking immediate treatments or direct clinical interventions would not find direct benefit from this basic science project.
What this research studies
This grant explores how individual bacteria within larger communities, such as those in our bodies, show unique behaviors even if they are genetically identical. Researchers are using a new technology called microSPLiT to look at the gene activity of thousands of single bacterial cells at once. This approach helps us understand how bacteria interact with each other and their surroundings in complex groups, like biofilms. By gaining a deeper understanding of these tiny interactions, we hope to learn more about how bacterial communities function. This knowledge is crucial for advancing our understanding of microbiology and the human microbiome.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to a better understanding of how bacterial communities contribute to health and disease, potentially informing new ways to manage infections or improve gut health.
How similar studies have gone: While single-cell analysis is a growing field, applying high-throughput single-cell transcriptomics to complex bacterial communities at this scale is a novel and less explored approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Institute for Systems Biology
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kuchina, Anna — Institute for Systems Biology
- Study coordinator: Kuchina, Anna
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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.