Our technology represents a paradigm shift in preventative therapeutics. By engineering stable modifications into trusted bacterial chassis, we create living biosensors and filters.
We utilize the extensively studied and FDA-recognized safe probiotic strain Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN). Unlike traditional probiotics that merely compete for resources in the gut flora, our modified EcN is designed with a highly specific mechanical purpose.
Because bacterial uptake of perfluoroalkyl substances is primarily transporter-mediated, EcN serves as an ideal biological chassis. It is natively capable of surviving the harsh gastric environment and colonizing the GI tract long enough to perform its filtration duties before being naturally passed.
Wild-type bacteria possess natural waste disposal mechanisms, primarily the TolC-AcrB efflux pump system, which would normally eject absorbed PFAS back into the gut. To counter this, we engineered a stable AcrB knockout via recA-mediated recombination, permanently disabling this specific efflux system.
With the AcrB pump disabled, the EcN bacteria acts as an intracellular sponge. As it passes through the GI tract, it ingests PFOA and PFOS compounds and traps them within the cell membrane. The toxins are then safely excreted from the body within the bacterial host, bypassing systemic absorption.