Safer phage tools to edit the microbiome
Engineering non-replicating self-recirculating phages as platform for gene therapy of the microbiome
This project is developing safer bacteriophage-based tools to deliver genes into specific bacteria in the human microbiome so people could one day get precise microbiome therapies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11330659 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are engineering bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria) that cannot replicate but can circulate within a microbial community to deliver therapeutic genes to chosen bacterial species. Current non-replicating phage tools can carry larger genetic payloads but suffer from very poor delivery efficiency, so the team will design and test self-recirculating mechanisms to improve delivery, specificity, and safety. The work will be done in the laboratory using complex bacterial communities and engineered phage particles to measure how well target bacteria are transduced and to evaluate risks like unintended gene transfer. If the approach works in the lab, it could be adapted later for clinical testing in people with microbiome-linked conditions.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Potential future candidates would be people with conditions linked to gut bacterial imbalance—such as recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection or inflammatory bowel disease—if and when clinical trials are launched.
Not a fit: People whose health problems are unrelated to bacterial communities or who need immediate standard-of-care treatments are unlikely to benefit from this early-stage lab research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could enable precise editing of harmful or helpful bacteria in people's microbiomes, leading to targeted treatments with fewer broad antibiotics or side effects.
How similar studies have performed: Phage therapies have shown promise in some lab and clinical cases, but non-replicating phage vectors have had very low delivery efficiency to date, so this specific self-recirculating approach is novel and experimental.
Where this research is happening
Chapel Hill, United States
- Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill — Chapel Hill, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lai, Samuel — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Lai, Samuel
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.