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E. coli Bacteria
Credit: Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID, NIH
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Researchers have successfully genetically re-engineered
E. coli bacteria to seek and destroy other disease causing bacteria. These reprogrammed
E. coli are even able to destroy bacterial biofilm, a slimy substance that protects bacteria from antibiotics,
chemicals, and other substances or conditions that are hazardous to the
microbes. Bacterial biofilms are responsible for many difficult to
treat infections that commonly occur in the lungs, bladder, and on devices used for medical implants.
In the study reported in the journal
ACS Synthetic Biology,
E. coli were reprogrammed to detect
Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria. Once
P. aeruginosa bacteria were detected, the
E. coli headed toward the bacteria and released enzymes and other substances that destroyed
P. aeruginosa biofilms. The researchers state that their technique could also be used to reprogram
E. coli to destroy other pathogens.
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