Award
NIH Reporter #5K99GM159248-02
Evolution and mechanisms of pathogen avoidance
Recipient
University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
Award Amount
$125,000.00
Ceiling
$125,000.00
Awarded
August 28, 2026
Identifier
5K99GM159248-02
Research project funded by NIGMS to study pathogen avoidance behaviors using C. elegans and Serratia marcescens, focusing on innate and learned mechanisms and their evolutionary integration.
Description
The proposed research aims to establish a foundational understanding of pathogen avoidance behaviors, focusing on innate and learned mechanisms in the host response to pathogens. Using the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans and the bacterial pathogen Serratia marcescens, the study will explore the genomic and neural underpinnings of avoidance behaviors, their evolution, and their integration to produce effective defense responses.