Engineered Probiotic Bacteria for Necrotic Enteritis Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

The phasing out of antibiotics in livestock production has led to increased frequency of necrotic enteritis in poultry, causing significant economic losses and health risks, as well as concerns about food safety and sustainability, due to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens.

Innovation Solution

Development of engineered antimicrobial probiotics, or 'cellbots,' which are specifically designed to target and reduce Clostridia perfringens in the gastrointestinal tract of chickens by isolating bacteria from natural environments, genetically engineering them to express and secrete antimicrobial peptides, and ensuring they can survive, colonize, and be metabolically active in the gut without adverse effects.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If antibiotics are phased out in livestock production, then animal health and food safety are improved, but necrotic enteritis frequency increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveanimal healthVSAvoidnecrotic enteritis frequency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces engineered probiotic bacteria as intermediary organisms that mediate between the removal of antibiotics and the prevention of necrotic enteritis. These probiotics produce enterocins that specifically target Clostridia perfringens, providing pathogen control without requiring antibiotic intervention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The probiotic bacteria are designed to be self-regulating and self-sustaining in the gastrointestinal tract. They autonomously produce and secrete enterocins to control pathogen populations, eliminating the need for external antibiotic administration while maintaining animal health.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Productivity

If antibiotics are used to control Clostridia perfringens, then necrotic enteritis is reduced, but antibiotic-resistant pathogens emerge

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenecrotic enteritis controlVSAvoidantibiotic resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the chemical mechanism of antibiotic action with a biological mechanism involving probiotic bacteria that produce enterocins. This substitution eliminates the selective pressure for antibiotic resistance while maintaining effective pathogen control through natural bacterial competition and toxin production.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Productivity

If engineered probiotics are developed, then Clostridia perfringens carriage is reduced, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepathogen carriage reductionVSAvoidprobiotic engineering complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the complex probiotic system into modular functional components: the probiotic bacterial strain, the enterocin production genes, the secretion machinery, and the delivery mechanism. This segmentation allows for independent optimization and simplifies the engineering process while maintaining overall system effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The engineered probiotics effectively lower Clostridia perfringens carriage in the gut, reducing necrotic enteritis-induced morbidity and mortality, and maintaining animal health and production efficiency while minimizing environmental impact.

Implementation Method 1

genetically engineering them to express and secrete antimicrobial peptides

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAntimicrobial peptide action:

Implementation Method 2

The engineered probiotics effectively lower Clostridia perfringens carriage in the gut

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBacteriocin production:

Data Source

PatentUS12121553B2Compositions including probiotic bacteria for the expression and secretion of enterocins to control clostridia perfringens-induced necrotic enteritis in livestock and related methods

Publication Date: 2024.10.22 GENERAL PROBIOTICS INC

AI summary

This invention relates, at least in part, to engineered antimicrobial probiotics for the prevention or treatment of Clostridia perfringens-induced necrotic enteritis in animals and related methods. In an embodiment, a composition for treatment of chickens is included. The composition can include a bacterium originally isolated from the small intestinal tract of healthy chickens and can be genetically engineered with two exogenous polynucleotides. A first exogenous polynucleotide can include a heterologous promoter and a polynucleotide that encodes an antimicrobial protein. A second exogenous polynucleotide can include a heterologous promoter and a polynucleotide that encodes proteins that function to secrete the antimicrobial protein to the extracellular environment. In an embodiment, the antimicrobial peptide can be effective in killing C. perf. inside the gastrointestinal tract of chickens.