Project Grant R35GM164154

The University of Chicago received a $149,650 Project Grant award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859), effective July 16, 2026, with an ultimate completion date of March 31, 2031. This research initiative delivers fundamental scientific advances in microbiome metabolism prediction, design, and control through three coordinated projects. Project 1 develops neural network-powered computational methods to identify metabolic guilds—functionally related microbial groups—from sequencing and metabolite data to build predictive models linking community composition to collective metabolism. Project 2 designs synthetic microbial consortia for pathogen inhibition and pollutant degradation by examining how environmental stress influences cooperation and functional redundancy in community-function landscapes, with applications toward microbiome-based therapeutics.

Project 3 investigates fundamental principles of resource-based community organization and metabolism at the systems level. Collectively, these projects address a critical knowledge gap in understanding microbial traits and physiological constraints that govern ecosystem behavior, with applications across human health (gut and skin microbiomes), environmental remediation, and disease prevention. The work combines microbial physiology with quantitative statistical and computational modeling approaches to build generalizable insights into microbiome complexity, ultimately advancing the ability to predict and control microbial community metabolism in diverse biological and environmental contexts.