A groundbreaking study led by Dr. Yilan Liu from the University of Waterloo has demonstrated how common gut bacteria can be transformed into powerful, miniature biomedical factories. These engineered bacteria have been optimized to produce bacterial membrane vesicles (BMVs) tiny, naturally secreted, bubble-like nanoparticles that are gaining attention for their vast potential in drug delivery, vaccine development, and disease treatment.

BMVs are highly valuable in biomedicine because they can carry proteins, nucleic acids, or therapeutic compounds, and deliver them with precision. However, their clinical application has long been limited by the bacteria's naturally low secretion rates. To overcome this, Liu’s team introduced a shell protein inspired by eukaryotic membrane curvature into the bacterial membrane, along with another key genetic tweak. The result a 140-fold increase in BMV production without the use of chemical enhancers.

This marks a major shift in how therapeutic nanoparticles can be produced cleaner, more sustainably, and with unprecedented efficiency. The team’s approach avoids the need for chemical treatments that are commonly used in conventional methods, making the process more eco-friendly and scalable for industrial and clinical applications.

In early trials, the engineered bacteria were able to activate the immune system in the gut, showing potential for treating immune-related diseases like Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Using advanced fluorescence imaging, researchers tracked the bacteria as they safely passed through the digestive system and localized in the intestines, demonstrating their ability to deliver therapeutic agents or nutrients directly to target sites in the body.

Dr. Liu believes this innovation could become a transformative platform for creating the next generation of vaccines, targeted therapeutics, and nutrient delivery systems, especially in global health contexts where affordability and efficiency are critical.

Looking ahead, the team plans to apply this strategy to pathogenic bacteria used in existing vaccines (such as those for meningitis) to boost production efficiency and reduce costs. They’re also exploring how BMVs could act as probiotic supplements that improve the body’s absorption of fat-soluble nutrients like beta-carotene, a project that could lead to novel functional foods or dietary therapies.

This pioneering work, conducted in collaboration with researchers from the Southern University of Science and Technology in China, was recently published in ACS Nano under the title:  
Engineered Therapeutic Bacteria with High-Yield Membrane Vesicle Production Inspired by Eukaryotic Membrane Curvature for Treating Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Source: https://uwaterloo.ca/news/media/creating-tiny-biomedical-factories-common-bacteria