Timothy K. Lu Research Group

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Can engineered bacteriophages and microbes detect and selectively treat infections and disease-relevant states in vivo? They engineer bacteriophages integrated with microfluidic platforms for real-time, on-site detection of foodborne pathogens. The group equips bacteria with biosensors that recognize molecular markers of inflammatory bowel disease and trigger release of anti-inflammatory compounds in animal models. Researchers construct gene regulatory circuits and engineer mammalian cells to improve production of therapeutic proteins and to build synthetic devices for gene therapy. They develop scalable genetic and bioprocessing platforms, including integrated microfluidic and high-throughput approaches, for discovery of antibiotics and engineered probiotics.