Recoding the metagenome: microbiome engineering in situ

•In situ microbiome engineering allows modification of a microbiome without requiring stable integration of a new organism.•Synthetically modified phages and conjugative donors can divert genetic payloads to different species in a microbiome.•Such payloads can eliminate microbes, re-sensitize pathog...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current opinion in microbiology 2019-08, Vol.50, p.28-34
Main Authors: Whitfill, Travis, Oh, Julia
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:•In situ microbiome engineering allows modification of a microbiome without requiring stable integration of a new organism.•Synthetically modified phages and conjugative donors can divert genetic payloads to different species in a microbiome.•Such payloads can eliminate microbes, re-sensitize pathogens to antibiotics, reduce virulence, or produce therapeutics.•Genomic, imaging, and ecological studies are needed to understand efficacy, impact, and containment of in situ modifications. Synthetic biology has enabled a new generation of tools for engineering the microbiome, including targeted antibiotics, protein delivery, living biosensors and diagnostics, and metabolic factories. Here, we discuss opportunities and limitations in microbiome engineering, focusing on a new generation of tools for in situ genetic modification of a microbiome that hold particular promise in circumventing these limitations.
ISSN:1369-5274
1879-0364
DOI:10.1016/j.mib.2019.09.005