Principles of Microbiome Engineering

OVERVIEW

Engineering the symbiotic microbial communities of humans and other animals to fortify health and fight disease is an emerging medical frontier. Although the idea of manipulating resident microbes is more than a century old, there are gaps in our understanding of how the microbiome can be precisely controlled. A major objective of the Wiles Lab is to identify strategies for modifying traits and interactions within the microbiome in a targeted way. We are also working to determine whether such modifications require changes to only certain species or entire communities, and if they can be designed to be durable and long-lasting or temporary and short-lived. Ultimately, we seek to define general principles of microbiome engineering that will inform the development of new therapeutic interventions.