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Microbiome Modulation of Visual System Development

Award Number: F32EY035578
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL EYE INSTITUTE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/01/2024
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 03/31/2027

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Microbiome Modulation of Visual System Development - PROJECT SUMMARY Visual system dysfunction is a common and debilitating comorbidity for individuals diagnosed with a variety of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), schizophrenia, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The microbiome is emerging as an important determinant of brain development, and recent research links these NDDs to intestinal dysbiosis, suggesting that a normal microbiome is a necessary component of typical brain neurodevelopment and function. To further connect these issues, microbial dysbiosis is also frequently associated with visual system dysfunction, yet practically nothing is known about the mechanisms by which the microbiota impacts visual system development. Therefore, a greater understanding of the dynamics between host and microbiome, including the specific cellular pathways and microbial products influencing neurodevelopment, is needed before effective treatments can be pursued. In this proposal, I will test the hypothesis that normal development of the visual system depends on sensing of specific secreted bacterial factors by specific cell types that mediate communication between the intestinal microbiome and the brain. To accomplish this, I will use the gnotobiotic zebrafish model to investigate how the microbiome interacts with intestinal cells and peripheral neurons to impact early visual neurodevelopment. This is a simple but powerful model system because it allows us to test the role that individual bacterial species and their byproducts play in neurodevelopment. I will use three approaches to determine the role specific host cell types and secreted bacterial products play in visual system development and its downstream behavioral output. Aim 1 tests the hypothesis that the microbiota is required for the normal development and function of a set of superficial interneurons involved in prey capture behavior. Aim 2 investigates the role of gut epithelial sensory cells and the vagus nerve in sensing bacterial products and relaying this information to promote visual system development. In Aim 3, I will identify the active product secreted from a gut bacterium that is sufficient to promote visual system development. These approaches allow an unbiased identification of the anatomical locations, cell types, and signaling pathways that relay microbial cues required for normal development of the visual system and its behavioral outputs. This work is significant because it lays the foundation for understanding mechanisms behind visual comorbidities associated with neurodevelopmental disorders like ASD, and ultimately serves to better inform intervention and treatment, and to one day prevent these complex NDDs and their associated comorbidities.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $81,580 )
2026	2026	UNIVERSITY OF OREGON	1776 E 13TH AVE	EUGENE	OR	97403	LANE	USA	Vision Research	000	3	4/24/2026	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$81,580
														Subtotal = $81,580

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $76,756 )
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF OREGON	1776 E 13TH AVE	EUGENE	OR	97403	LANE	USA	Vision Research	000	2	3/21/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$76,756
														Subtotal = $76,756

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $74,284 )
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF OREGON	1776 E 13TH AVE	EUGENE	OR	97403	LANE	USA	Vision Research	002	1	5/3/2024	NEW	$4,784
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF OREGON	1776 E 13TH AVE	EUGENE	OR	97403	LANE	USA	Vision Research	000	1	3/19/2024	NEW	$69,500
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF OREGON	1776 E 13TH AVE	EUGENE	OR	97403	LANE	USA	Vision Research	001	1	3/19/2024	NEW	$0
														Subtotal = $74,284

Grand Total All Awards = $232,620

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Microbiome Modulation of Visual System Development

Award Number: F32EY035578

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL EYE INSTITUTE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/01/2024

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 03/31/2027

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