Many types of bacteria can lead to an infection and an overreaction to any infection may lead to devastating tissue damage and potential death. This extreme immune response is termed as sepsis and is associated with 1 in 5 deaths worldwide. Our solution is to use an engineered phage therapy that directly targets the infectant, after detection with a phage reporter assay. Phages are advantageous because they are bacteria specific, a phage can be used to target a specific bacteria. Once a blood sample is obtained, our library of engineered phage will carry a fluorescent gene that will result in fluorescent bacteria once the phage inserts in its DNA. Phage types that lead to fluorescence will be administered to the patient in the phage therapy step. Additionally, interactive exhibits were held at local museums to engage the community on synthetic biology and how it could be used to address sepsis.
