Natalie Falco Receives F31 Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Fellowship from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

Natalie Falco, a fourth-year PhD in Pharmacological Sciences student in the UC Irvine School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, has been selected for the F31 Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Fellowship from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). As a recipient of this support, Falco will get funding for her research project, “Chemoenzymatic discovery of secreted microbial enzymes for engineered probiotics.”

Falco is part of the team in the Griffin Lab, where researchers “aim to decipher the molecular language of host-microbial interactions using chemical biology.”

“I study how metabolites from our resident microbiota influence gut health. My now funded research project, ‘Chemoproteomic discovery of secreted microbial enzymes for engineered probiotics,’ will develop new biotherapeutics to generate immune active molecules that fortify the intestinal barrier and prevent leaky gut,” Falco explained. 

The fellowship will allow Falco to further her research and work toward her goal of becoming an independent researcher. She hopes to use the resources provided by the fellowship to take her project into the next phase of testing and development.

“We have successfully generated our first engineered probiotics that we hope will improve immune activity and gut homeostasis. Over the next year, I will be validating the enzymatic activity of our strains and testing them in vivo to see if we can increase the production of bioactive metabolites in the gut by simply administering our new microbes,” said Falco. “Over the course of the fellowship, we will also develop new methods to discover enzymes capable of making these molecules, which we will then test using the probiotic approach we have developed.”

Falco expressed her appreciation for being chosen for the fellowship, a testament to her efforts thus far and the start of a new chapter in her academic and professional life.

“Being among the 11% of successful F31 applicants at NIAID has been a meaningful validation of all the hard work I’ve dedicated to my studies,” Falco shared. “The genuine congratulations from my letter writers, whom I admire as both mentors and scientists, filled me with gratitude. It’s a reminder to appreciate and celebrate the achievements along this journey.”