Justin Kaspar, PhD Receives R03 Grant from NIDCR
Dr. Justin Kaspar, an Assistant Professor in the Division of Biosciences, was recently awarded an R03 grant for $326,972 from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). It supports Dr. Kaspar’s work that investigates microbes such as Streptococcus mutans and their preferred carbon sources, including dietary carbohydrates for which microbes compete within a shared habitat. He said, “This study investigates how carbon source preference shifts at the single-cell level between microbes that are growing as part of a mixed-species community, such as those found in oral biofilms attached to the tooth surface with associated health-relevant outcomes like the development of tooth decay (dental caries).”
Dr. Kaspar added, “This grant from the NIDCR continues our ongoing research on the ways that oral bacterial behaviors change when they’re grown as a mixed-species community, as they are typically found in the biofilms attached to our teeth, versus when they are grown alone, as many of these bacteria are commonly studied in a lab setting. We’ve found that preferences for dietary carbohydrates, such as glucose or galactose, changes among the oral streptococci when they’re competing against each other. This factors into the ways that S. mutans, which is associated with the development of tooth decay, is able to gain competitive advantages over health-associated bacteria within the microbiome.”
Commenting on the impact of the NIDCR grant, he concluded, “That funding helps us dive deeper into the changes we see at a single-cell level through advanced microscopy, as well as begin to develop strategies where we can utilize this knowledge to potentially prevent the emergence of S. mutans and other caries-associated pathogens.”
Faculty who are part of the NIDCR grant include Dr. Clifford Beall, Center of Microbiome Science; Dr. Ann Griffen, Division of Pediatric Dentistry; and Dr. Kyulim Lee, Division of Pediatric Dentistry. Learn more about Dr. Kaspar’s research.
