Functionalization of endogenous bacteria
Various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to methods and compositions for functionalizing endogenous bacteria in vivo. The methods include delivering to endogenous bacterial cells a recombinant bacteriophage or phagemid that is engineered to contain at least one genetic circuit.
1. A method of functionalizing endogenous Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) in a subject having an inflammatory bowel disease, the method comprising:
delivering to the subject having endogenous E. coli a recombinant phagemid that is engineered to contain a nucleic acid comprising an inducible promoter operably linked to a nucleotide sequence that encodes an antibody, wherein the recombinant phagemid comprises an f1 origin and a packaging site of a non-lytic filamentous bacteriophage;
thereby producing, in the subject, viable functionalized endogenous E. coli that express the antibody.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the endogenous E. coli are in a microbiome.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-lytic filamentous bacteriophage is M13.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inflammatory bowel disease is Crohn's disease.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inflammatory bowel disease is ulcerative colitis.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antibody is Infliximab.