The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) received a $240,060 Project Grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855). The purpose of this 2-year award is to identify the specific cellular states and spatial organization of Vibrio cholerae bacteria within biofilms, which serve as a persistent environmental reservoir for the cholera-causing pathogen. The research will use single-cell RNA sequencing and fluorescence microscopy to characterize the transcriptional plasticity and 3-dimensional structure of V. cholerae biofilms, as well as the cellular changes that occur during biofilm dispersal in response to host signals. This work aims to provide insights into the mechanisms underlying the genesis and dispersal of V. cholerae biofilms, which are critical to the onset of cholera infections following natural disasters and other environmental disturbances.
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