Summary
Spores of several species of Bacillus have found widespread and safe use as probiotic dietary supplements. More recently, vegetative Bacilli have been engineered using recombinant DNA techniques to form spores that are surface decorated with a wide range of biotechnologically useful proteins, including enzymes, antigens and other cellular markers, offering a possible route to the development of orally administered vaccines. Clostridium spores have also found application in the healthcare sector, with improved genetic tools permitting the development of spores that localise and outgrow in the anaerobic microenvironment of solid tumours. The project builds on the group expertise in spore germination, spore coat/exosporium assembly, and the development of novel spore-based surface display systems.
University Key Personnel: Dr Graham Christie
PhD student: David Baynard
Post-doctoral Research Associate: Dr Iris Batalha
MedImmune Key Personnel: Sofia Ekizoglou, Chris van der Walle