Targeted Microbiome Intervention

Gut Microbiome has been an intensely researched topic for the last decade where presence or absence of certain microbial communities has been implicated in a variety of human health conditions including metabolic, gastrointestinal, cancer, infectious disease and central nervous system disorders. Extensive research in this field has been possible to a large extent due to rapid development in high-throughput genomic analysis of microbial communities leading to mechanistic understanding of the microbiome’s involvement in human health.

At SynCTI, our research direction aims to engineer commensal microbial cells as live biotherapeutic products to improve human health by targeting specific diseases. Our approaches include providing cell-based therapeutic options that can be applied to myriad of human ailments including, pathogenic infections, cancers, and metabolic disorders. We employ novel synthetic genetic circuits to reprogram commensal and probiotic microbial cells with capabilities to sense and reverse disrupted physiological functions associated with the disease, in a highly intuitive and precise manner. The efficacy of the live biotherapeutics is evaluated in the relevant in vivo preclinical models, supporting the translation of benchwork to clinic. Functional Live biotherapeutics will be able to modulate disease microenvironment bringing about beneficial effects on the host.