Programmable gene circuits to control bacteria and cells
Engineered Gene Circuits for Basic Science and Biotechnology
Researchers are building and testing programmable genetic circuits in bacteria and cells to see how they behave in complex environments like tumors.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11048801 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You'd be hearing about a lab project that uses computer models and lab devices to design tiny genetic programs that run inside bacteria and cells. The team will grow single cells and bacterial colonies in microfluidic devices and 3-D tumor spheroids to watch how they respond to changing environments. Mathematical models will guide which designs to build, and experiments will check how well those designs work across different setups. The work is done at UC San Diego by a multidisciplinary group including postdocs and graduate students developing tools for synthetic biology.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with solid tumors who are interested in future bacterial-based therapies or who can donate tumor tissue for laboratory research might be relevant for related participation.
Not a fit: People without cancer or anyone seeking an immediate therapy are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this basic laboratory research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could enable smarter, programmable bacterial or cell-based therapies and better predict how such therapies behave in tumors.
How similar studies have performed: Previous preclinical work using engineered bacteria in animal tumor models has shown promise, but applying programmable gene circuits reliably in complex tumor environments remains experimental.
Where this research is happening
La Jolla, United States
- University of California, San Diego — La Jolla, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hasty, Jeff M — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Hasty, Jeff M
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.