Speaker:
Title:
Remote Electrogenetic Induction of Engineered Therapeutic Bacteria
Abstract:
Engineered bacteria can operate inside the human body to have a therapeutic effect on their host. Maintaining control over cellular behavior in vivo is dependent on the ability to remotely signal to the engineered cells. Electronic interfaces represent a means of externally transmitting these signals into the body. To accomplish this, we harness metal electrodes to control bacterial gene expression and deliver therapeutic peptides to the gut. We engineered an inducible split recombinase that is electrochemically regulated. This work drastically expands upon the contexts in which engineered cells can be deployed to treat pathogenic diseases in the body.