Engineered bacteria detect tumor DNA (IMAGE)
Caption
Upper: The bacterium A. baylyi can incorporate DNA from its environment through natural competence. This allows horizontal gene transfer and the integration of cell-free DNA into the A. baylyi genome. Lower: Researchers engineered A. baylyi to find the mutated KRAS gene, which helps colorectal cancers grow. Detection of tumor DNA activated an antibiotic resistance gene to confirm that a tumor was found.
Credit
Cooper et al
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Must be used in conjunction with Science paper on engineering bacteria to detect tumor DNA.
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