TED2015
Tal Danino: Programming bacteria to detect cancer (and maybe treat it)
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Liver cancer is one of the most difficult cancers to detect, but synthetic biologist Tal Danino had a left-field thought: What if we could create a probiotic, edible bacteria that was "programmed" to find liver tumors? His insight exploits something we're just beginning to understand about bacteria: their power of quorum sensing, or doing something together once they reach critical mass. Danino, a TED Fellow, explains how quorum sensing works -- and how clever bacteria working together could someday change cancer treatment.
Tal Danino - Synthetic biologist
Tal Danino explores the emerging frontier of combining biology and engineering (and art). He is a 2015 TED Fellow. Full bio
Tal Danino explores the emerging frontier of combining biology and engineering (and art). He is a 2015 TED Fellow. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
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You may not realize this,
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but there are more bacteria in your body
than stars in our entire galaxy.
than stars in our entire galaxy.
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This fascinating universe
of bacteria inside of us
of bacteria inside of us
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is an integral part of our health,
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and our technology is evolving so rapidly
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that today we can program these bacteria
like we program computers.
like we program computers.
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Now, the diagram that you see here,
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I know it looks like
some kind of sports play,
some kind of sports play,
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but it is actually a blueprint of
the first bacterial program I developed.
the first bacterial program I developed.
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And like writing software,
we can print and write DNA
we can print and write DNA
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into different algorithms
and programs inside of bacteria.
and programs inside of bacteria.
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What this program does
is produces fluorescent proteins
is produces fluorescent proteins
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in a rhythmic fashion
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and generates a small molecule
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that allows bacteria
to communicate and synchronize,
to communicate and synchronize,
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as you're seeing in this movie.
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The growing colony of bacteria
that you see here
that you see here
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is about the width of a human hair.
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Now, what you can't see
is that our genetic program
is that our genetic program
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instructs these bacteria
to each produce small molecules,
to each produce small molecules,
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and these molecules travel between
the thousands of individual bacteria
the thousands of individual bacteria
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telling them when to turn on and off.
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And the bacteria synchronize
quite well at this scale,
quite well at this scale,
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but because the molecule that synchronizes
them together can only travel so fast,
them together can only travel so fast,
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in larger colonies of bacteria,
this results in traveling waves
this results in traveling waves
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between bacteria that are
far away from each other,
far away from each other,
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and you can see these waves going
from right to left across the screen.
from right to left across the screen.
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Now, our genetic program
relies on a natural phenomenon
relies on a natural phenomenon
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called quorum sensing,
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in which bacteria trigger coordinated
and sometimes virulent behaviors
and sometimes virulent behaviors
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once they reach a critical density.
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You can observe quorum sensing
in action in this movie,
in action in this movie,
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where a growing colony of bacteria
only begins to glow
only begins to glow
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once it reaches a high
or critical density.
or critical density.
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Our genetic program
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continues producing these
rhythmic patterns of fluorescent proteins
rhythmic patterns of fluorescent proteins
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as the colony grows outwards.
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This particular movie and experiment
we call The Supernova,
we call The Supernova,
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because it looks like an exploding star.
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Now, besides programming
these beautiful patterns,
these beautiful patterns,
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I wondered, what else can we get
these bacteria to do?
these bacteria to do?
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And I decided to explore
how we can program bacteria
how we can program bacteria
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to detect and treat diseases
in our bodies like cancer.
in our bodies like cancer.
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One of the surprising facts about bacteria
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is that they can naturally grow
inside of tumors.
inside of tumors.
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This happens because typically tumors
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are areas where the immune system
has no access,
has no access,
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and so bacteria find these tumors
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and use them as a safe haven
to grow and thrive.
to grow and thrive.
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We started using probiotic bacteria
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which are safe bacteria
that have a health benefit,
that have a health benefit,
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and found that
when orally delivered to mice,
when orally delivered to mice,
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these probiotics would selectively
grow inside of liver tumors.
grow inside of liver tumors.
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We realized that the most convenient way
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to highlight the presence
of the probiotics,
of the probiotics,
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and hence, the presence of the tumors,
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was to get these bacteria
to produce a signal
to produce a signal
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that would be detectable in the urine,
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and so we specifically
programmed these probiotics
programmed these probiotics
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to make a molecule that would change
the color of your urine
the color of your urine
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to indicate the presence of cancer.
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We went on to show that this technology
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could sensitively and specifically
detect liver cancer,
detect liver cancer,
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one that is challenging
to detect otherwise.
to detect otherwise.
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Now, since these bacteria
specifically localize to tumors,
specifically localize to tumors,
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we've been programming them
to not only detect cancer
to not only detect cancer
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but also to treat cancer
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by producing therapeutic molecules
from within the tumor environment
from within the tumor environment
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that shrink the existing tumors,
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and we've been doing this
using quorum sensing programs
using quorum sensing programs
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like you saw in the previous movies.
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Altogether, imagine in the future
taking a programmed probiotic
taking a programmed probiotic
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that could detect and treat cancer,
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or even other diseases.
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Our ability to program bacteria
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and program life
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opens up new horizons in cancer research,
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and to share this vision,
I worked with artist Vik Muniz
I worked with artist Vik Muniz
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to create the symbol of the universe,
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made entirely out of bacteria
or cancer cells.
or cancer cells.
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Ultimately, my hope is that the beauty
and purpose of this microscopic universe
and purpose of this microscopic universe
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can inspire new and creative approaches
for the future of cancer research.
for the future of cancer research.
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Tal Danino - Synthetic biologistTal Danino explores the emerging frontier of combining biology and engineering (and art). He is a 2015 TED Fellow.
Why you should listen
Tal Danino's research explores the emerging frontier of combining biology, engineering and medicine. His work as a synthetic biologist focuses on reprogramming bacteria to detect and treat diseases in our bodies such as cancer.
Originally from Los Angeles, Danino received B.S. degrees from UCLA in Physics, Chemistry and Math, and received his Ph.D. in Bioengineering from UCSD. He did a postdoctoral fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is currently an assistant professor at Columbia University in New York.
Danino's work has been published in scientific journals and highlighted in several popular press venues. He actively develops "Bio-Art" projects that share perspectives and stories about science with recent projects featured in the New York Times, WIRED, and the Wall Street Journal.
Tal Danino | Speaker | TED.com