Manipulating the microbiome to detect prevent or cure disease: from natural probiotics to engineered bacteria”

Paper details:

The complex bacterial, viral and fungal communities living in a eukaryotic host are termed ‘the microbiome’. Microbiome research has surged remarkably in the last decade as a result of technical advancements that have provided a detailed characterization of the microbiome composition and its alterations inhealth and disease(see course textbook, Chapter 8, Section 8.3). More recently, research has focused on the possibility of manipulating the microbiome for medical purposes. The manipulation strategies range from ‘old’ practices such as the use of probiotics, antibiotics or fecal microbial transplants to the exploitation of the sophisticatedtools of synthetic biology. Certainbacterial species are now being engineered to make them perform specific functions, which range from detecting a disease biomarker to delivering and secreting molecules for therapy in several clinical settings. As opposed to probiotics, engineered bacteria are defined as ‘living drugs’ and are subjected to regulation by federal health agencies.The purpose of this assignment is for you to learn how to summarize the current knowledge on microbiome manipulation as gathered from avariety of sources, either academic (i.e. review articles or IMM250H1 (Immunity and Infection): Science & Society Paper –Fall 2019primary articles from scientific journals) or non-academic (i.e. science news articles from reputable magazines [The Scientist, Scientific American, etc.], newspapers [New York Times, The Guardian, etc.], reports from government and institution science websites [NIH, Health Canada, WHO, etc.], science blogs, podcasts, etc.). From your collected materials, you will build a “story” for a general reader with or without a background in science.In other words, we want you to submit a piece of science writing using a journalistic approach. Some academic and non-academic references will be provided but you are encouraged to find your own sources of information and inspiration depending on the angle you decide to give to your article. Consider the role of cultures, health care organizations, health policy, media and individuals in thinking about the problem and its potential solution –not allof these points need tobe included, but you must be able to discuss your topic from a multidimensional perspective