In a first, researchers at the UC San Francisco have successfully used the DNA-editing system, CRISPR to alter the genomes of bacteria living in the guts of mammals, a development which stands to advance our understanding of the microbiome and could eventually pave the way for treating gut-related disease.
In the landmark study, published this month in the journal Cell Reports, the researchers were able to remove chunks of genes from the Escherichia coli bacteria living in the guts of mice and change the overall makeup of the bacterial communities populating their digestive systems.