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.
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