Overview
- The team’s study, published in Science on Thursday, shows a tiny implant that cut Pseudomonas aeruginosa levels near an orthopedic device in a mouse model.
- The device holds engineered E. coli inside a tough, nanoscale‑pored polyvinyl alcohol gel that blocks cells but lets therapeutic molecules pass.
- Lab stress tests found no detectable bacterial escape after six months in nutrient broth, and a 10,000‑cycle stretching trial did not break the enclosure.
- The bacteria carry a gene circuit that senses P. aeruginosa and then self‑destructs to release an antibacterial protein at the infected site.
- The work remains preclinical, a patent application has been filed, and the lead author plans to explore broader uses such as cancer and inflammation at a new Cornell lab.