# The Genomics and Antagonism of Pathobiont Colonization

> **NIH NIH U19** · BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE · 2021 · $736,728

## Abstract

Project Summary
The human intestine is an ecosystem of microbes. This ecosystem helps shape immune
function, provides scarce nutrients, aids in digestion, and when balanced, maintains
health. Amongst the many bacteria that colonize this organ, some harbor virulence
factors and carry drug-resistance, the so-called pathobionts, which may be
asymptomatic members of the intestinal microbiota. Under certain conditions, mostly
related to a loss of immune function, these organisms can cause systemic bloodstream
infections that can lead to sepsis or sepsis-like states. As such, they are leading causes
of community and nosocomial infections. The most prominent of these are members of
the superfamily of Enterobacteriaceae and Enterococcaceae. The most concerning
pathobiont members of the Enterobacteriaceae are the Gram-negatives Eschericia coli
and Klebsiella pneumoniae, while those of the Enterococcaceae include the Gram-
positive Enterococcus faecalis and Enterocccus faecium. There are no vaccines for
these species.
 The focus of this project is to generate the world's first fully annotated and
searchable reference library of pathogenic and drug-resistant pathobionts that colonize
the human intestine. This library will then be the source of intra-species competition in
organotypic models of the human intestine to select for the most fit binders and
colonizers of the apical mucosa. These strains then be assessed for their ability to
breach the mucosa (translocation), induce global gene expression across a hundred
different human lines, and be out-competed or antagonized by members of a small and
large intestine commensal community. At the completion of the project, there will be
numerous bacterial, host, and commensal targets for new drug development.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10160780
- **Project number:** 5U19AI144297-03
- **Recipient organization:** BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** ANTHONY W MARESSO
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $736,728
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-04-15 → 2024-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10160780

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10160780, The Genomics and Antagonism of Pathobiont Colonization (5U19AI144297-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10160780. Licensed CC0.

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