Synthetic biology core for creating helpful bacteria to fight tumors
Official title: Synthetic biology core for vector construction and strain optimization
Funded at University of Massachusetts Amherst · NIH-11422186 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A team at UMASS Amherst is building engineered bacteria to better target and attack tumors and deliver cancer-fighting payloads.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Massachusetts Amherst NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Hadley, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $296,301 |
| NIH project number | 1P01CA300738-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11422186 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients with tumors that could be targeted by bacterially-based therapies and who meet standard clinical criteria for participation in early-stage translational research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with tumors not amenable to bacterial targeting or with conditions that contraindicate bacterial therapies may not benefit from this core.
What this research studies
This grant supports a core facility that develops optimized therapeutic bacterial strains capable of promoting anti-tumor immunity, colonizing tumors, and delivering payloads. It leverages advances in synthetic biology and multiplexed, high-throughput methods to map how bacterial genes and surface proteins influence behavior and immune responses. The work aims to use CRISPR interference and protein engineering to design bacteria with precise control over gene expression and protein interactions in the tumor environment, guided by machine learning. The goal is to identify key genetic and molecular factors that boost immunogenicity and therapeutic efficacy while minimizing adverse effects. The project is conducted in a tumor-focused, translational context with potential pathways toward clinical application.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from more effective bacterial-based therapies that stimulate anti-tumor immunity and deliver cancer-killing payloads directly to tumors.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work using engineered bacteria for tumor targeting and immune modulation has shown promise in preclinical models, with progress toward clinical translation in some programs.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Hadley, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Andrews, Lauren — University of Massachusetts Amherst
- Study coordinator: Andrews, Lauren
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.