Hacking Gut Bacteria Could Be The Next Major Class Of Medicines
“We start with the probiotics that you can literally buy over the counter at your local pharmacy,” Lu explained. “We’re trying to show that probiotics that are really engineered with our technologies can treat serious human diseases. So we take those probiotics and modify them so that we can significantly amplify their beneficial effects.”
Here’s how it works: Lu and Dr. Jim Collins, Synlogic co-founder and biological engineer, developed “genetic circuits” made of synthetic DNA or RNA that carry instructions for certain bacteria, telling them to seek out and cure infections. Essentially, the researchers are tweaking the genetic codes within the bacteria in order to program them like a computer.
The bacteria can be programmed, for instance, to detect inflammation in the gut and create anti-inflammatory molecules on the spot, as well as producing molecules to boost immune system function.
