Understanding the Germs in Your Mouth and Nose
Official title: A Foundation for the Oral Microbiome and Metagenome
Funded at Ada Forsyth Institute, INC. · NIH-11077687 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project helps scientists learn more about the tiny living things in our mouths and noses to better understand how they affect our 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 | April 1, 2006 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,200,286 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DE016937-20 |
| Project ID | NIH-11077687 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 may seek individuals with specific oral or systemic health conditions.
✕Less likely to help
Patients looking for immediate new treatments or direct clinical intervention will not find it through this foundational research.
What this research studies
Our mouths and noses are home to many different types of germs, collectively called the microbiome, which play a big role in our health and disease. This project creates a comprehensive online database, the Human Oral Microbiome Database (eHOMD), that catalogs these microbes and their genetic information. We are also growing previously unknown oral and nasal bacteria in the lab and adding information about the viruses that infect these microbes. This foundational work helps researchers worldwide connect specific germs to health conditions and develop new ways to keep us healthy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: This work could lead to new discoveries about how the oral microbiome affects diseases, potentially guiding future treatments or prevention strategies for various health issues.
How similar studies have gone: This project builds upon many years of successful work in creating and expanding the Human Oral Microbiome Database and cultivating new bacterial strains.
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
Related research
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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.