Event
BIOE Seminar: Engineered Bacteria for Cancer Therapy
Friday, November 6, 2026
9:00 a.m.
A. James Clark Hall, Room #2121
Sara Molinari
saramol@umd.edu
Tal Danino
Associate Professor
Columbia University
Engineered Bacteria for Cancer Therapy
Abstract:
Synthetic biology is driving a new era of medicine through the genetic programming of living cells. One particular focus has been the engineering of bacteria as therapeutic delivery systems for cancer, where microbes colonize and release payloads within tumors. Here, genetic circuits are designed to enhance spatial and temporal control of microbial behaviors for improved safety and efficacy. In this talk, I will highlight our recent efforts to develop bacterial biosensors, encapsulation strategies, and effective delivery systems for payloads ranging from cytotoxic to immunomodulatory agents. I will also discuss the progression from bacteria as single agents toward their engineered interactions with other programmable medicines using synthetic biology.
Bio:
Tal Danino is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University. His laboratory focuses on engineering bacteria for biomedical applications, with a particular emphasis on developing bacteria as cancer therapeutics. Danino received his Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of California, San Diego, and completed postdoctoral training at the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT. His honors include the NSF CAREER Award, DOD Era of Hope Scholar Award, CRI Lloyd J. Old STAR Award, Pershing Prize, and Lotus Award. He is also an AIMBE Fellow, TED Fellow, and CZI Biohub Investigator. Beyond the lab, he communicates science visually through art made with bacteria and cells and is the author of Beautiful Bacteria. Dr. Danino directs the Synthetic Biological Systems Laboratory and is a member of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Data Science Institute at Columbia University.
