Engineered bacterial whole cell biosensors that record transient transcriptional information have demonstrated their power as non-invasive probes for the mammalian gut.

We have developed a biosensor discovery platform based on one type of synthetic memory circuit (Robinson et al, 2023. bioRxiv).

We are using this approach to discover new biosensors of inflammatory disease within the gut. At the same time we are learning fundamental details about how the gut microbiome interacts with the gut during health and disease.

Spatial variation in gut microbiome function is poorly understood but may play critical roles in disease aetiology and advance our understanding of host-microbiome dynamics.

We are developing approaches to image the complex biogeography of the mammalian gut. By imaging engineered bacterial biosensor response we are gaining new spatial insights into host and microbiome.

Most of the billions of genes predicted from microbiome sequencing studies remain functionally uncharacterised. Understanding their function is a major goal for the microbiome field, and could lead to fundamental advances to our understanding of host-microbe interactions as well as novel therapeutics.

In collaboration with André Brown’s lab at ICL we are exploring mechanisms by which microbes may interact with their hosts through the gut-brain-axis.