Biofilm Formation and Metabolism on Dental Surfaces

描述(由申请人提供)： 目前的生物医学研究卓越中心(COBRE)提案旨在发展与口腔健康相关的研究，并增加与俄克拉荷马大学牙科学院及其附属机构在牙科研究方面有共同兴趣的研究人员的竞争力。这项提案的核心是初级研究人员，他们将采取多学科方法研究天然和人造牙齿表面微生物生物膜的形成和代谢。微生物生物膜在口腔光滑表面的建立和演化导致龋齿、牙周炎和牙周炎，在所有牙科疾病中占大多数。为了从多个角度探讨这一问题，本提案中的项目调查人员来自相互补充的领域，包括微生物学和遗传学、病理学和细胞生物学、牙周学和牙科材料。一个行政核心将监督初级调查人员并与其合作，提供高级调查人员的指导、改进的核心设施和一个由国际公认的科学家组成的外部咨询委员会，专题是牙齿表面的微生物生物膜。此外，还将启动一项针对各级学生的培训计划以及一项外联计划，以确定该州其他机构的教职员工和学生对牙科生物膜研究感兴趣。大学管理部门已承诺扩大这一努力，从机构资源中增加两个永久教员职位。这项科布雷提案为俄克拉荷马州牙科研究人员提供了必要的资源、基础设施和指导，以独立研究人员的身份成功竞争未来的NIH资金。这项计划的最终好处将是将研究知识转化为口腔疾病的治疗和预防。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The present Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) proposal is designed to grow oral health related research, and increase the competitiveness of investigators associated with the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry and affiliated institutions with common interests in dental research. At the center of this proposal are the junior investigators who will take a multidisciplinary approach to study microbial biofilm formation and metabolism on natural and artificial dental surfaces. The establishment and evolution of microbial biofilms on smooth surfaces in the oral cavity leads to dental caries, gingivitis, and periodontitis, accounting for the majority of all dental disease. To approach this problem from a number of vantage points, project investigators in the present proposal were drawn from complementary fields, including microbiology and genetics, pathology and cell biology, periodontics, and dental materials. An administrative core will oversee and work with the junior investigators, providing mentoring from senior investigators, enhanced core facilities, and an external advisory committee of internationally recognized scientists in the thematic topic of microbial biofilms on dental surfaces. In addition, a training program for students at all levels will be initiated as well as an outreach program to identify faculty and students at other institutions in the state interested in dental biofilm research. The university administration has committed to expand this effort with the addition of two permanent faculty positions from institutional resources. This COBRE proposal provides the necessary resources, infrastructure, and mentoring required for Oklahoma dental researchers to be successful in competing for future NIH funding as independent investigators. The ultimate benefit of this program will be the translation of research knowledge to treatment and prevention of oral diseases.