María E. Inda, Ph.D.

Research

A variety of bacteria inhabit healthy human intestines, and members of Dr. Lu’s laboratory have been working to commandeer some of these microbes for use as “sentinels” that could patrol the gut and secrete therapeutic molecules in areas that appear inflamed. I will equip bacteria with biosensors that recognize the molecular markers of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)—and then trigger the release of anti-inflammatory compounds. I will assess the engineered microbes’ ability to distinguish between diseased and healthy tissue and to treat inflammation in an animal model of IBD. This work could lead to novel noninvasive strategies for the early diagnosis and alleviation of inflammation in intestinal disorders.