Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 17, 2025
14:04
Biosensor for Detection of Antibiotic Resistant Staphylococcus Bacteria
Published on: May 8, 2013
24.6K
Engineering a "detect and destroy" skin probiotic to combat methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Changhui Guan1, Peter J Larson1,2, Elizabeth Fleming1
1The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, United States of America.
Plos One
|December 15, 2022
Summary
Engineered skin probiotics can detect and eliminate harmful bacteria like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). This approach offers targeted treatment, reducing antibiotic resistance and preserving the skin microbiome.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Synthetic Biology
- Dermatology
Background:
- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) poses a significant clinical threat due to recurrent skin infections.
- Prolonged antibiotic use for S. aureus can lead to antibiotic resistance and disrupt the beneficial skin microbiome.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an engineered skin probiotic for targeted antimicrobial delivery.
- To create a biosensor that selectively eliminates S. aureus while preserving the microbiome.
Main Methods:
- Constructed a biosensing Staphylococcus epidermidis strain.
- Engineered the strain to detect S. aureus quorum sensing autoinducer peptide.
- Programmed the strain to produce lysostaphin in response to S. aureus detection.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated in vitro activity of the engineered biosensor.
- Confirmed selective detection of S. aureus by the biosensor.
- Confirmed lysostaphin production in response to S. aureus presence.
Conclusions:
- An engineered S. epidermidis biosensor shows potential for targeted S. aureus bioremediation.
- Further research is needed to address challenges for deploying topical skin probiotics.
- This strategy may reduce antibiotic resistance and microbiome disruption.
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