The Bacterial Biosensors lab is located in the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences (CEMS) at the University of Vermont. Our central focus is to engineer new ways for bacteria to detect and respond to disease.
The Bacterial Biosensors lab is located in the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences (CEMS) at the University of Vermont. Our central focus is to engineer new ways for bacteria to detect and respond to disease.
We are building genetically engineered bacteria as biosensor probes for lung cancer. Bacteria will be made to be safely delivered to human lungs, where they will detect specific biomarkers produced by a lung tumor and respond by producing more easily detected synthetic biomarkers.
Bacteria communicate with each other through peptide pheromones. We are re-engineering receptors for peptide pheromones to instead detect peptides linked with human disease. One such receptor is shown at right (ComR).
Bacteria have evolved countless ways of sensing and attacking one another with high specificity. We are augmenting probiotic bacteria in multiple ways to sense and fight pulmonary pathogens.