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The "MinOroBiome" project, jointly led by researchers from Freiburg and Greifswald, is investigating bacterial biofilms in the mouth

The German Research Foundation (DFG) is providing over 650,000 euros in funding for the “MinOroBiome” research project, a collaboration between the Faculty of Medicine – University of Freiburg and the University Medical Center Greifswald, for a period of 36 months. The interdisciplinary team is investigating which of the smallest stable communities of microorganisms in the mouth enable the formation of bacterial biofilms. The findings are intended to contribute to a better understanding of dental caries and periodontal diseases and to the development of new approaches for specifically influencing the oral microbiome.

“We want to better understand which microorganisms and functions are necessary for the stable formation of oral biofilms. This will allow us to lay the groundwork for more targeted prevention of oral diseases in the future and to develop new strategies for influencing the microbiome,” says Prof. Dr. Fabian Cieplik, Medical Director of the Department of Operative Dentistry and Periodontology at the Medical Center – University of Freiburg.

Biofilms from human saliva

The project aims to identify and characterize a so-called minimal oral microbiome that efficiently forms biofilms from human saliva. To this end, the research team combines biofilm models in the laboratory with various molecular analyses and computer-aided modeling of interactions. The goal is to determine key microbial functions and to develop more realistic experimental and bioinformatic models of the oral microbiome.

In addition to Cieplik from the Medical Center – University of Freiburg, the project is led by Prof. Dr. Johannes Hertel of the University Medical Center Greifswald. The experimental work is being conducted in Freiburg in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Ali Al-Ahmad from the Department of Operative Dentistry and Periodontology, while the bioinformatic and mathematical modeling is being carried out in collaboration with Greifswald as well as additional partners in Newcastle and Nottingham in the United Kingdom.

Image: Scanning electron microscope image of an oral biofilm. The image shows the dense, three-dimensional structure of bacterial communities in the oral cavity, as studied in the “MinOroBiome” research project.

Image source: Medical Center – University of Freiburg