# Molecular analysis of bacterial interactions

> **NIH NIH R35** · GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY · 2024 · $373,752

## Abstract

Microorganisms live in communities in nature. The structure of microbial communities is shaped
by the interactions with neighboring organisms. These interactions are often mediated by small
molecules called natural products. Biosynthesis of these natural products is tightly regulated and
can be induced by several factors including microbial interactions, quorum sensing, and the
presence of chemical inducers such as antimicrobial compounds, or specific metabolic precursors
required for biosynthesis. Description of circumstances that activate natural product biosynthesis
are crucial to unravel mechanisms of induction at the molecular level and to determine their
ecological functions. The overall objectives of our research program is to understand how natural
product biosynthesis is activated by specific microbial and chemical environments as well as to
mimic these environments in vitro enabling discovery of new natural products and their
biosynthetic pathways. We will utilize mucus-dwelling bacteria from human airways, and marine
corals, both of which are sources of unique natural products to investigate natural product-
mediated interspecies interactions.
In the project period, we will develop and apply mass spectrometry-based workflows to 1)
elucidate the role of natural products and quorum sensing in interspecies interactions in host-
relevant chemical and physical environment via the use of synthetic human mucus, 2) understand
how chemical inducers such as antibiotics shape microbial community structure of mucus
microbiomes, and 3) characterize natural product chemical space of mucus-dwelling bacteria
derived from corals, an understudied resource of bioactive natural products. The methods
described in this proposal enhance detection and characterization of natural product chemical
space. Thus, this work will identify new natural products with antibiotic potential, which are needed
in the face of increasing antibiotic resistance and declining rate of discovery of natural products-
based antibiotics. The observations from this study will illuminate the mechanistic basis for natural
product-mediated microbial interactions and natural-product mediated structuring of microbial
communities.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10851872
- **Project number:** 5R35GM150870-02
- **Recipient organization:** GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
- **Principal Investigator:** Neha Garg
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $373,752
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-07-01 → 2028-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10851872

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10851872, Molecular analysis of bacterial interactions (5R35GM150870-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10851872. Licensed CC0.

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