Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of California, Davis received a $180,109 Project Grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) under the Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.847), effective June 1, 2026 through March 31, 2030. The award funds research investigating the restoration of microbiota signaling pathways through non-biotic substitutes, termed "faux-biotics," to control opportunistic infections during chemotherapy-induced dysbiosis. The research addresses a critical clinical challenge where chemotherapy disrupts normal gut microbiota, compromising colonization resistance and increasing infection risk from facultative anaerobes such as E. coli in immunosuppressed patients. This approach offers a novel alternative to existing therapies with significant limitations, including antibiotic toxicity, antimicrobial resistance, and safety concerns associated with fecal microbiota transplantation in immunocompromised populations.

The project delivers fundamental biomedical research outcomes advancing understanding of microbiota-derived immune mechanisms and the development of innovative therapeutic strategies to prevent infection complications in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. As a prominent public land-grant research institution with substantial expertise in biomedical research and sophisticated laboratory infrastructure, UC Davis serves as the primary research performer, contributing investigator expertise and specialized facilities necessary to execute this basic and translational research initiative aligned with NIDDK's programmatic focus on digestive disease mechanisms and improved disease prevention and treatment approaches.