Leading PI: Andreas Keller (Saarland University & HIPS)
As several living therapeutic material (LTM) systems have now reached the prototype stage, the next critical step is to analyze what these materials release under real-world conditions – essentially, to characterize their secretome This includes metabolites, proteins, extracellular vesicles, and RNA, which can interact with the human body even without direct bacterial contact. Current studies often overlook or only partially address the secretome, treating it as a secondary aspect rather than a central focus.
A framework for analyzing the secretome has been recently developed by the contributing partners. Building on this, the current proposal aims to apply the secretome analysis framework to a prototype system involving Corynebacterium glutamicum engineered to secrete hyaluronic acid and encapsulated in hydrogel contact lenses. The goal is to establish this as a standardized, scalable platform for the broader LSC community.