Task Progress:
|
Genetically engineered therapeutic microbes (synthetic microbes) represent a promising approach to modulating the gut microbiome and enhancing human health. In particular, this new therapeutic modality has the potential to mitigate several risks defined by the Human Research Program, such as restricted pharmacy resources, altered astronaut immune response, inadequate nutrition, host-microorganism interactions, and adverse cognitive disorders. Ingested synthetic microbes provide the opportunity to carry out therapeutic and prophylactic functions on-demand, directly in the gut while minimizing personnel, equipment and space requirements beyond those for food supply. However, there are two major challenges to implementing synthetic microbes in humans: stable, long-term delivery or administration, and effective genetic parts that function in the gut.
This proposal focuses on overcoming the latter challenge. In his proposed work, we hypothesize that gastrointestinal (GI) polymeric devices can be used to uncover GI location-specific genetic promoters. If successful, his work will generate a reference toolbox of genetic parts that can be used by the field to develop effective interventions based on genetically engineered microbes. The specific aims of his proposal are to (1) develop a device that can stably localize microbes in the GI tract and (2) to deploy this device in swine to profile the set of microbial genes that are expressed and repressed in each GI location.
|
|
Articles in Peer-reviewed Journals
|
Inda-Webb ME, Jimenez M, Liu Q, Phan NV, Ahn J, Steiger C, Wentworth A, Riaz A, Zirtiloglu T, Wong K, Ishida K, Fabian N, Jenkins J, Kuosmanen J, Madani W, McNally R, Lai Y, Hayward A, Mimee M, Nadeau P, Chandrakasan AP, Traverso G, Yazicigil RT, Lu TK. "Sub-1.4 cm3 capsule for detecting labile inflammatory biomarkers in situ." Nature. 2023 Jul 26. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06369-x ; PMID: 37495692 , Jul-2023
|
|
Articles in Peer-reviewed Journals
|
Liu Q, Jimenez M, Inda ME, Riaz A, Zirtiloglu T, Chandrakasan AP, Lu TK, Traverso G, Nadeau P, Yazicigil RT. "A threshold-based bioluminescence detector with a CMOS-integrated photodiode array in 65 nm for a multi-diagnostic ingestible capsule." IEEE J Solid-State Circuits. 2022 March;58(3):838-51. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9866896 , Mar-2022
|
|
Articles in Peer-reviewed Journals
|
Liu GW, Pickett MJ, Kuosmanen JLP, Ishida K, Madani WAM, White GN, Jenkins J, Park S, Feig VR, Jimenez M, Karavasili C, Lal NB, Murphy M, Lopes A, Morimoto J, Fitzgerald N, Cheah JH, Soule CK, Fabian N, Hayward A, Langer R, Traverso G. "Drinkable in situ-forming tough hydrogels for gastrointestinal therapeutics." Nat Mater. 2024 Feb 27. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-024-01811-5 , Feb-2024
|
|
Books/Book Chapters
|
Jimenez M, Fuller J, Hill P, Langer R. "Taking ideas out of the lab: Why and when to start a company in the biomedical field." in "Chemistry Entrepreneurship (1st Edition)." Ed. J. García-Martínez, K. Li. Weinheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany: Wiley-VCH, 2021. p. 33-58. https://doi.org/10.1002/9783527819867.ch2 , Jan-2021
|
|
Papers from Meeting Proceedings
|
Liu Q, Riaz A, Zirtiloglu T, Inda ME, Jimenez M, Lai Y, Steiger C, Diamond E, Traverso G, Lu T, Chandrakasan A, Nadeau P, Yazicigil RT. "Zero-Crossing-Based Bio-Engineered Sensor." 2021 IEEE Custom Integrated Circuits Conference (CICC) 1–2 (2021), April 25-30, 2021. 2021 IEEE Custom Integrated Circuits Conference (CICC) 1–2 (2021), April 25-30, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1109/CICC51472.2021.9431409 , Apr-2021
|
|