# Spatiotemporal analysis of gene regulatory programs associated with GBS infection during pregnancy

> **NIH NIH R01** · NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · 2020 · $786,470

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Infection during pregnancy or in the immediate postnatal period is associated with substantial morbidity and
mortality worldwide. Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a major cause of chorioamnionitis (CAM) and neonatal
sepsis. The placenta acts as the initial interface between GBS and the host immune response during
chorioamnionitis, constituting the locus of host-pathogen interaction. Current understanding of the
pathogenesis of CAM has been limited by a lack of tools revealing the spatial and temporal components of
placental infection. Specifically, we lack an understanding of how the infection unfolds over time and across the
placental architecture. Breakthroughs in single-cell genomics and spatial transcriptomics now enable the
unbiased and systematic analysis of the process of infection. Here we propose to apply these methods to GBS
infection of the placenta: examining host-specific responses, the host-pathogen interface, and perturbations of
the GBS infection program. In Aim 1 we will combine spatial transcriptomics and single-cell RNA-Seq to study
the progression of GBS infection in a novel murine model of ascending infection and CAM. In Aim 2 we will
simultaneously study host and pathogen gene expression programs during infection in primary human
placental macrophages. In Aim 3 we will test a conceptual model of GBS infection by systematically assessing
the effect of targeted deletions of specific GBS genes. Integrating these approaches will provide a rich view of
host-pathogen interactions during CAM and will lead to the identification of new targets for intervention.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9820720
- **Project number:** 5R01AI143290-02
- **Recipient organization:** NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Adam Jonathan Ratner
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $786,470
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-11-09 → 2023-10-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9820720

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9820720, Spatiotemporal analysis of gene regulatory programs associated with GBS infection during pregnancy (5R01AI143290-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9820720. Licensed CC0.

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