Oral Microbiology Program
Overview
The Oral Microbiology Program supports basic and translational research on the role of microbes in oral disease. Topics include examining mechanisms of pathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of microbial infections, as well as research on emerging conditions and diseases and our understanding of the oral microbiome. The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research encourages research on understanding infections that emerge within the oral cavity based on the capacity of microbial pathogens to adapt to the unique oral environment. Relevant research topics include, but are not limited to:
- Studies on biofilms and ecology including on the formation, structure, modulation, and eradication of oral biofilms
- Host status changes that affect the emergence of infectious agents
- Mechanisms affecting genetic diversity and antibiotic resistance
- Microbial stress responses and interactions that modify organism virulence
- Role of cell-cell interactions and differential gene expression in the ecology of complex communities
- Host factors and underlying immune, molecular, and cellular mechanisms for the elimination of microbial pathogens
- Early detection and novel strategies for treatment and prevention of oral infections
- Genomic, proteomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic approaches for understanding of structure, function, and system dynamics
