The ADA Forsyth Institute

ADA Forsyth researchers in the Mark Welch/Borisy Lab continue to map oral microbiome ecology, leading the scientific community to new discoveries about the interplay between microbial communities. The team recently released a new pangenomic resource built from eHOMD: 579 pangenomes spanning 8,115 bacterial genomes, representing 99.2% of all genomes cataloged in eHOMD.

The resource gives scientists a standardized way to explore shared and variable gene content across oral microbial taxa at the strain level, with annotations linking gene clusters to function and evolutionary relationships.

This tool is openly accessible online without any software installation, and available for download for more advanced analysis.

Congratulations to contributors including ADA Forsyth’s Julian Torres-Morales, Dr. Jonathan J. Giacomini, Dr. Tsute Chen, Dr. Floyd E. Dewhirst, Dr. Gary G. Borisy, and Dr. Jessica L. Mark Welch, and Dr. Kathryn Kauffman from the University at Buffalo.

Learn more: https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mra.00261-26

🎉 ADA Forsyth’s Annual Fundraising Event is just 1 month away! 🎉

2026 has already been an outstanding year for ADA Forsyth – and the year is only half over!

Join us at Renaissance Golf Club on June 29 to celebrate our wins and sustain the future of oral health.

Connect with the all-star researchers, advocates, and clinicians who power our legendary and award-winning research and community programs.

Network with leaders from ADA Forsyth, the American Dental Association, and the oral health and life sciences community.

We’ll have plenty of delicious food, leisure time in the sun, and networking activities for all participants – whether you’re on or off the course!

All tickets and sponsorships for this event are tax-deductible and will directly aid our mission-driven activities in cutting-edge basic research, creative translational science, innovative clinical techniques, education, and public health outreach.

Register today! https://ow.ly/6QVn50Z5Hlx

Congratulations to all of the companies selected to present their innovations at the inaugural dentech-Asia conference on May 11-12 at the Seoul National University Siheung Campus Convention Center.

Two winners were selected for their innovative dental solutions:

NIBEC – Winner, Technology Showcase, Post-Revenue Companies

IR Scientific – Winner, Pitch Competition: Pre-Revenue Companies

Congratulations, NIBEC and IR Scientific!

Read more about dentech-Asia 2026 @ Seoul: https://ow.ly/g87a50Z5gEe

👀 and…watch this space for announcements about presentation opportunities at dentech in Boston this September!

Big news for ADA Forsyth! For the first time since 2010, ADA Forsyth is the No. 1 U.S. dental institution in the NIDCR rankings for FY2025.

ADA Forsyth researchers continue a 116-year legacy of high-quality science, earning competitive funding to advance dental and craniofacial research through sustained commitment to rigorous, innovative research. ADA Forsyth has ranked in the top 10 in NIDCR funding for each of the 24 years since NIDCR began releasing its rankings.

Congratulations to the entire ADA Forsyth team on this milestone, and a sincere thank-you to everyone who makes our work possible with your support and partnership!

Interested in joining team AFI? We’re recruiting top scientists to join our all-star faculty in our key areas of Microbiology, Inflammation and Immunology, and Craniofacial Biology and Bioengineering.

Get the full story here: https://forsyth.sharepoint.com/:f:/s/AFIPublic/IgDgRNfcLyE7QKFTcA0ANdMwASVwKnS-LgItmAtcdqzirs8?e=ZDc50V

American Dental Association

That’s a wrap on the very first ADA Forsyth dentech-Asia! Thank you to everyone who joined us in South Korea on May 11–12.

Dentech-Asia brought together key opinion leaders, investors, researchers, and innovators from across the globe for two days of high-impact conversations to shape the future of oral health.

A sincere thank-you to our Gold Sponsor, ODS, and to all of our generous sponsors who made this event possible: Perkins Coie LLP, IR Scientific, Angel Aligner, Revere Partners, Tuuthfairy, Innobio, and Derbarzt.

Stay tuned for more dentech-Asia photos, recaps, and exciting announcements!

🦷🪥 Do you have red or bleeding gums? You may be eligible for a paid research study.

The Center for Clinical & Translational Research (CCTR) is currently seeking volunteers for a 6-week, 3-visit study to test a new (investigational) mouthwash in reducing bacteria that cause gingivitis.

Eligibility: Massachusetts residents aged 18-65 years with Gingivitis (red and bleeding gums).

At a screening visit, providers will:

🦷 Review your medical and dental history

🦷 Examine your teeth, gums, and mouth

🦷 Determine if you are eligible for the study

Please note: Participants must reside in MA and must be able to travel independently to the Center for Clinical and Translational Research, located at the ADA Forsyth Faculty Associates Dental Clinic at 100 Chestnut Street, Somerville, MA 02143 for the screening visit and all subsequent study visits. Compensation (up to $500) and parking will be provided.

👉 Sign up and schedule your screening visit today: https://forsyth.org/mouth-rinse-study/

Questions? Contact Molly Dunne at 617-892-8213, or email [email protected].

New research from ADA Forsyth sheds light on one of oral microbiology's biggest mysteries. Lead author Dr. Deepak Chouhan, Associate Professor Dr. Batbileg Bor, and a team of collaborators published a new study in Nature Communications revealing previously unknown details about how ultrasmall Saccharibacteria, from human "microbial dark matter," interact with human gingival epithelial cells.

The team found that Saccharibacteria cluster TLR2 receptors and are internalized via caveolin-mediated endocytosis, effectively dampening the inflammatory response triggered by other bacteria. It's a major mechanistic breakthrough with implications for understanding and potentially treating periodontitis.

Learn more at the link in this post: https://forsyth.org/ada-forsyth-study-breaks-new-ground-on-how-oral-microbial-dark-matter-modulate-human-innate-immune-responses/

Debuting in Seoul on May 11-12, dentech-Asia will convene key opinion leaders in oral health from around the globe. This landmark event will build a bridge between investment and innovation, opening doors to East-West collaboration and accelerating oral health technology like never before.

Following thoughtful panel discussions and startup pitch sessions, participants will engage in exclusive networking opportunities to forge new partnerships.

Our program is packed with groundbreaking sessions, such as:

- How Academic Titans Turn Ideas into Impact

- Navigating the US Dental Innovation Ecosystem

- Q&A Session with ADA Forsyth

- An Inside View: How Investors Make Decisions

- A Look Inside the SNU-AFI Joint Research Center

- Remarks on Oral Health Innovation Across the Globe

- 2 Technology Showcase sessions

- And more...

A huge thank you to our Gold Sponsor, ODS Resin, and all of our event sponsors for their generous support.

Join us May 11–12 in Seoul. Registration is still open for a limited time. Learn more about the program and register here: https://forsyth.org/events-courses/dentech-asia-2026/

We are extremely proud to share that ADA Forsyth Institute officially accepted our Gold Award (Greater Boston Region) at MassEcon's Team Massachusetts Economic Impact Awards Gala last evening 🏆

This award recognizes the economic impact of our move to 100 Chestnut St., City of Somerville which brings $100M+ in research funding, a growing workforce, and expanded research and clinical capacity to our new community.

Representing AFI at the awards ceremony were team members across the administration, clinical care and research units, as well as new and longtime friends and supporters including JLL Managing Director Robert Coughlin, a City of Somerville representative, Board members Dr. Maria Ryan, Dr. Jonathan Knapp, and Dr. Nader Nadershahi.

In his acceptance speech, CEO Dr. Wenyuan Shi reflected on 116 years of foundational discoveries, from establishing one of the first dental hygiene schools in the nation to pioneering fluoride research.

Thank you, MassEcon! We look forward to continuing to support innovation and development across the Commonwealth! 🦷