# Oral microbial community structure and assembly: from molecule to microbiome

> **NIH NIH R01** · STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT ALBANY · 2022 · $357,483

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Just as the function of metazoan tissues and organs is mediated by the patterned assembly of phenotypically
distinct cells during development, the functions of oral microbes in promoting health and disease arise from the
emergent properties of their patterned structure: the biofilm. For example, the accumulation of supragingival
dental plaque into stable, long-range biofilms at the gingival margin is implicated in reversible gingivitis, which
may progress to chronic periodontitis. Recent studies have called into question the relative contribution of two
conspicuous, filamentous organisms in structuring supragingival plaque over long distances: Fusobacterium
nucleatum and Corynebacterium matruchotii. There exists a critical need to understand the role that
filamentous organisms play in biofilm assembly because it is well understood that changes in taxonomic
abundance, ecological succession and biofilm structure mediate the transition from health to inflammatory
periodontal diseases in the mouth. To address this knowledge gap, we have developed an in vitro oral biofilm
model, amenable to systems imaging in which to study the molecular basis of long-range community structure
and biochemical interaction. We will elucidate the role of micron-scale spatial structure in oral biofilm assembly,
growth and function, through combined metagenomic sequencing and systems imaging of biofilms inoculated
with dental plaque from healthy donors. We will further map novel Corynebacterium genes involved in long
range spatial structure of biofilms, through co-culture RNA-seq and mRNA FISH imaging. We will next
decipher the specific F. nucleatum molecular components that underly long-range biofilm structure, through
targeted inhibition of F. nucleatum outer membrane proteins with neutralizing antibodies and through genetic
complementation of these proteins in E. coli cells co-cultured with dental plaque inocula. The knowledge
gained from the research proposed here will comprise a holistic understanding of oral community assembly
processes and physical structure across spatial scales from molecule to microbiome and may identify new
paradigms for intervening in the progression of dental plaque-mediated diseases.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10447147
- **Project number:** 5R01DE030927-02
- **Recipient organization:** STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT ALBANY
- **Principal Investigator:** Alex M Valm
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $357,483
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-07-07 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10447147

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10447147, Oral microbial community structure and assembly: from molecule to microbiome (5R01DE030927-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10447147. Licensed CC0.

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