Which microbes live on healthy eyes and how steady are they over time
Defining bacterial members of the ocular surface microbiome and assessing stability over time
This project maps the tiny microbes on the surface of healthy eyes and tracks how they change over a few weeks and months.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11128609 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would provide small, noninvasive swabs of the surface of your eye at three time points (baseline, one week, and three months) at study sites in Pittsburgh or Miami. Researchers will use DNA and RNA sequencing to list microbes present and use culturomics to grow and bank live bacteria for future study. The team focuses on people without active eye disease to define a core set of eye microbes and measure how stable those microbes are over time. They will also look for immune signals tied to persistent microbes to better understand which microbes might affect eye health.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adults without active eye infection or recent eye surgery who can attend three visits in Pittsburgh or Miami and tolerate brief eye swabs.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate treatment for an eye problem or with active infections are unlikely to receive direct clinical benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help identify microbes that protect the eye or contribute to disease, guiding future prevention or treatment approaches.
How similar studies have performed: Earlier small studies suggested an ocular microbiome exists but were limited by low biomass and methods, so combining sequencing with culturing is a newer approach that remains relatively untested at this scale.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, United States
- University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: St Leger, Anthony J — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: St Leger, Anthony J
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.