General Information

A fundamental question for LTM development is how to control the growth and activity of encapsulated biofactories in a nutrient-rich environment. In the LSC we demonstrated that this can be achieved by tailoring the spatial confinement, mechanical and diffusion properties of the encapsulating materials. We identified hydrogel composition windows and physical requirements needed to maximize […]

A unique advantage of biofactories is the possibility to integrate sensors and switches for on-demand therapeutic release. The synthetic biology expertise in this topic is provided to the LSC by the Independent Junior Group of Dr. Shrikrishnan Sankaran. The group has engineered switches for light- and heat-responsive bacterial activity in ClearColi and probiotic E. coli Nissle 1917 strains. Controlled […]

The evaluation of the immunogenic potential of LTMs is a fundamental step to assess their clinical transferability. Although LTMs prevent the physical contact between biofactories and host cells, the high permeability of the matrix allows exchange of their secretomes. Interestingly, the first studies of the immune response to LTM prototypes have provided encouraging results. Human […]