Synthetic Biology
OVERVIEW
Synthetic biology is the process of designing and engineering organisms with new traits and behaviors. In the Wiles Lab we are using synthetic biology to dissect the inner workings of host–microbe systems. We use fluorescent proteins to track bacterial activity and evolution within complex environments such as the vertebrate intestine. We also control bacterial behaviors with genetic switches to probe the mechanisms underlying host–microbe interactions. Ultimately, synthetic biology enables us to expose previously unrecognized aspects of host–microbe systems, opening new avenues for therapeutically manipulating the microbiome.
