CRISPR-based engineering of next-generation lactic acid bacteria
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Updated: Feb 28, 2026

The Cultivation, Growth, and Viability of Lactic Acid Bacteria: A Quality Control Perspective
Published on: June 16, 2022
Claudio Hidalgo-Cantabrana1, Sarah O'Flaherty1, Rodolphe Barrangou1
1Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutritional Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
Abstract:
The advent of CRISPR-based technologies has opened new avenues for the development of next-generation food microorganisms and probiotics with enhanced functionalities. Building off two decades of functional genomics studies unraveling the genetic basis for food fermentations and host-probiotic interactions, CRISPR technologies offer a wide range of opportunities to engineer commercially-relevant Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria. Endogenous CRISPR-Cas systems can be repurposed to enhance gene expression or provide new features to improve host colonization and promote human health. Alternatively, engineered CRISPR-Cas systems can be harnessed to genetically modify probiotics and enhance their therapeutic potential to deliver vaccines or modulate the host immune response.
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