# Metaproteomics to investigate intestinal microbiota-host and -diet interactions

> **NIH NIH R35** · NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY RALEIGH · 2020 · $356,930

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
In the Kleiner laboratory we study metabolism, physiology and interactions in microbial symbioses and host-
associated microbiota. For this we combine a diversity of cultivation independent approaches – such as
metagenomics, metabolomics, metaproteomics and single cell imaging – with cultivation-based approaches
including heterologous gene expression, biochemical assays and other in vitro measurements. Our research
has a strong focus on the development of high-resolution mass spectrometry driven metaproteomics for the
large-scale identification and quantification of proteins in host-associated microbiota.
During the next five years, I plan to continue using these approaches to study intestinal microbiota responses
to, and mechanisms of interaction with, external substrates (diet) and host-derived substrates (host compound
foraging). I hypothesize that different dietary protein sources and host-derived compounds will have vastly
different impacts on the microbiota and thus need to be considered when studying the interconnection of diet,
the microbiota, and host health. I propose to use metaproteomics, complemented with metagenomics and
metabolomics, to (1) identify and quantify the substrates that are used and converted by microbiota members
and (2) determine how these substrates impact community composition and functional interactions with other
microbiota members and the host. This research will provide urgently needed insight into the functional
impacts of substrates consumed by gut microbiota by optimizing and deploying novel approaches for the
reproducible, large-scale characterization of host, diet and microbial proteins in the intestinal tract.
My long-term goals are to develop metaproteomic approaches that allow us to quantitatively and reproducibly
determine functional interactions in microbial communities, and to define critical interactions between the
microbiota and dietary proteins that will inform the development of therapeutic interventions. These
approaches will also be powerful tools for studying any disease associated with the human microbiome in and
on different body sites and microbial communities that humans interact with in their environment and that
potentially impact health.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10028792
- **Project number:** 1R35GM138362-01
- **Recipient organization:** NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY RALEIGH
- **Principal Investigator:** Manuel Kleiner
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $356,930
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-08-01 → 2025-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10028792

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10028792, Metaproteomics to investigate intestinal microbiota-host and -diet interactions (1R35GM138362-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10028792. Licensed CC0.

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