Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) received a $634,041 Project Grant award from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) under the Oral Diseases and Disorders Research program (CFDA 93.121), effective May 1, 2026 through April 30, 2031. The award supports research to elucidate the structural and mechanistic properties of the RNA degradosome in Streptococcus mutans, the bacterium primarily associated with dental caries risk. The research employs an integrated multidisciplinary approach utilizing genetics, advanced mass spectrometry, next-generation sequencing, cryo-electron microscopy, and innovative interspecies biofilm models to map degradosome targeting specificity and characterize moonlighting protein interactions that regulate global posttranscriptional gene expression.

The project's core research deliverables include: (1) comprehensive characterization of moonlighting protein interactions and transcript targeting mechanisms by the degradosome; (2) development of mechanistic structural and biochemical models of degradosome-substrate complexes; and (3) assessment of the therapeutic potential of inhibiting protein moonlighting interactions as a strategy for strain-specific S. mutans depletion in the oral cavity. These research outputs are designed to advance fundamental understanding of bacterial genetic regulation while identifying novel therapeutic targets for combating the global disease burden associated with dental caries.