Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) awarded The Johns Hopkins University a $388,333 Project Grant, effective March 16, 2026 through February 28, 2031, under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859). This five-year award supports fundamental research to characterize flagellar motility in the context of host-microbe symbiosis, specifically examining how flagellin proteins—which compose bacterial flagellar filaments—contribute to bacterial colonization and motility within host organisms. The research utilizes the Hawaiian bobtail squid and Vibrio fischeri as a model symbiotic system to investigate how flagellar proteins function in complex, host-like environments, moving beyond traditional in vitro characterization methods to understand real-world symbiotic mechanisms.

The primary deliverable is peer-reviewed scientific research that advances understanding of fundamental biological processes underlying bacterial-host relationships, with particular emphasis on determining the role of individual flagellins and flagellin diversity in symbiotic motility. This research is anticipated to provide foundational knowledge applicable to both beneficial bacterial associations and pathogenic host-microbe interactions, including disease-causing Vibrio species. The work will be conducted at Johns Hopkins University's Baltimore, Maryland campus and will contribute to the NIGMS mission of supporting basic biomedical research that lays the foundation for advances in disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.