Federal Project Grant Award Summary

North Carolina State University received a $738,169 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), with an award date of June 1, 2026, and a completion date of March 31, 2031. The research initiative focuses on investigating cross-domain interactions between methanogenic archaea and bacteria within the human microbiome, specifically examining methanogen-bacterial syntrophy (MBS) and its relationship to digestive health disorders.

The funded research will produce scientific knowledge and findings addressing the foundational biology of methanogens and their partnership with bacterial microbiota in human digestion. The project will investigate how dysfunction in MBS contributes to intestinal methanogen overgrowth (IMO) and related gastrointestinal conditions such as constipation and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The research will examine the mechanisms by which shifts in redox and dietary environments disrupt MBS, particularly the sensitivity of strict anaerobic methanogens to oxidative stress. Outcomes will advance understanding of methanogen biology and dysbiosis, potentially informing therapeutic approaches for millions of Americans suffering from methane-associated digestive disorders.