News — Imagine editing the bacteria in your gut the same way scientists edit DNA, targeted, precise, and powerful. That’s exactly what Dr. Carlotta Ronda, a Principal Investigator at the Innovative Genomics Institute at the University of California, Berkeley, is working on.
Ronda shared how her lab is developing new ways to reprogram the microbiome, the trillions of bacteria that live inside our bodies, using CRISPR technology. While CRISPR has made headlines for editing human genes, Dr. Ronda’s work focuses on using it to understand and alter bacteria in the gut, which play a surprising role in everything from digestion to brain chemistry.
Her team’s breakthrough platform, MAGIC (Metagenomic Alteration of Gut Microbiome by In Situ Conjugation), allows scientists to deliver new genes directly into gut bacteria without removing them from their natural environment. This kind of in situ editing could be used to remove harmful traits from bacteria during an active infection and even boost the immune system’s ability to fight back.
The latest episode of the Curious by Nature podcast, “How Science Can Solve Food Poisoning”. featuring Dr. Carlotta Ronda, is now available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Curious by Nature, presented by Â鶹´«Ã½, is a podcast for curious people. In each episode, listeners can travel briefly into the fascinating world that comes with years of dedication to one field of study. Be inspired by the many amazing things that are going on right now, some of which may have a major effect on our lives. Enjoy this concentrated knowledge from experts. We hope you can take inspiration from glimpses of innovation, dedication, and discovery.
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