# Engineering host-determinants of novel gut Microviruses

> **NIH NIH P20** · OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY STILLWATER · 2024 · $243,488

## Abstract

Engineering host-determinants of novel gut Microviruses
PROJECT SUMMARY
Non-phiX-like Microviruses are small, single-stranded DNA viruses that are numerous, diverse, and poorly
understood members of the human gut virome. Their simple genetic structure makes them amendable to
manipulation of their host specificity, while their small size enables phage production via de novo synthesis of
their genomes from in-silico data, followed by transformation of virus-generating DNA in the host. The
Research Project Leader (RPL) has previously established a strong research program to study these elusive
phages. Through investigation of their biology and ecological roles in microbiomes, he is poised to develop
microviruses as a versatile tool for the targeted manipulation of the gut microbial community towards desired
health outcomes such as staving off bacterial infections.
 Several obstacles must be overcome before practical applications of his research can be explored through
R01 grant funding. The patterns and determinants of microviral host identity and specificity need to be
understood, and the feasibility of re-introducing engineered phages into mixed microbial populations needs to
be demonstrated. This proposal addresses these issues through three scientific aims: 1) Identifying natural
hosts and establishing virus-host systems for major microvirus lineages of the human gut, 2) Establishing a
system for targeted modulation of Microviridae host range, and 3) Re-introducing phages into controlled
microbiomes for precise manipulation of microbial community composition.
 Success in these endeavors requires extensive experience in culturing and manipulating not only
microviruses (the RPL’s expertise), but also with anaerobic hosts such as Bacteroides and Prevotella. Through
the Oklahoma Center for Microbiome Research (OCMR) Anaerobic Microbiology Core and COBRE-facilitated
mentorship by experts in virology, metagenomics, and biology of human gut microbes, as well as interactions
with a wide range of researchers in the microbiome field, the RPL will have access to the technical
infrastructure, intellectual expertise, and professional network needed to pursue these aims. The project is
hence crucial to the RPL’s short and long-term career goals of attaining research independence in the form of
an R01/R35 grant; establishing his laboratory as a leading institution in the research of microviruses; and
developing microviruses as modular tools for a fully synthetic phage therapy platform.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10771560
- **Project number:** 1P20GM152333-01
- **Recipient organization:** OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY STILLWATER
- **Principal Investigator:** Paul Kirchberger
- **Activity code:** P20 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $243,488
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-02-01 → 2029-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10771560

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10771560, Engineering host-determinants of novel gut Microviruses (1P20GM152333-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-01 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10771560. Licensed CC0.

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