Team:LMU-Munich
From 2014.igem.org
![](https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2014/9/97/LMU14_home_completeskyline.jpg)
![](https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2014/8/82/LMU14_home_button_problem.png)
![](https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2014/b/b1/LMU14_home_button_strategy.png)
![](https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2014/8/8e/LMU14_home-button-results.png)
»BaKillus«
Engineering a pathogen-hunting microbe
Increasing bacterial resistance to classical antibiotics remains a serious threat and urges the development of novel pathogen-killing strategies. Exploiting bacterial communication mechanisms such as quorum sensing is a promising strategy to specifically target certain pathogens. The major aim of this project is the introduction of a genetic circuit enabling Bacillus subtilis to actively detect, attach to, and eventually kill Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Initially, we will introduce the autoinducer-sensing two-component systems of S. aureus and S. pneumoniae into B. subtilis. to create a pathogen-detecting strain. By utilizing quorum sensing-dependent promoters, we will then trigger pathogen-killing strategies like the production of antimicrobial peptides or biofilm degradation. As a safety measure a delayed suicide-switch guarantees non-persistence of genetically modified B. subtilis in the absence of pathogens. We envision the use of BaKillus as a smart, cheap and simple-to-use medical device for diagnostics and targeted treatment of multiresistant superbugs.