Emerging Frontiers in Microbiome Engineering

María Eugenia Inda; Esther Broset; Timothy K Lu; Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez

doi:10.1016/j.it.2019.08.007

Emerging Frontiers in Microbiome Engineering

Trends Immunol. 2019 Oct;40(10):952-973. doi: 10.1016/j.it.2019.08.007. Epub 2019 Oct 7.

Authors

María Eugenia Inda¹, Esther Broset², Timothy K Lu³, Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez⁴

Affiliations

¹ Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering and Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
² Machine Biology Group, Departments of Psychiatry and Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, and Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Grupo de Genética de Micobacterias, Departamento de Microbiología y Medicina Preventiva, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009, Spain.
³ Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering and Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. Electronic address: timlu@mit.edu.
⁴ Machine Biology Group, Departments of Psychiatry and Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, and Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Electronic address: cfuente@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.

PMID: 31601521
DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2019.08.007

Abstract

The gut microbiome has a significant impact on health and disease and can actively contribute to obesity, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, cardiovascular disease, and neurological disorders. We do not yet have the necessary tools to fine-tune the microbial communities that constitute the microbiome, though such tools could unlock extensive benefits to human health. Here, we provide an overview of the current state of technological tools that may be used for microbiome engineering. These tools can enable investigators to define the parameters of a healthy microbiome and to determine how gut bacteria may contribute to the etiology of a variety of diseases. These tools may also allow us to explore the exciting prospect of developing targeted therapies and personalized treatments for microbiome-linked diseases.

Keywords: diagnosis; intractable commensals; microbiome engineering; synthetic biology; treatment.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Epigenesis, Genetic / genetics
Epigenesis, Genetic / immunology
Gastrointestinal Microbiome* / genetics
Gastrointestinal Microbiome* / immunology
Humans
Metabolic Engineering*

Grants and funding

R33 AI121669/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States