Altering microbial populations and modifying microbiota
AssigneeSNIPR Technologies Limited
InventorsJasper Clube, Morten Sommer, Christian Grøndahl, Eric Van Der Helm, Ruben Vazquez-Uribe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to methods, uses, systems, arrays, engineered nucleotide sequences and vectors for inhibiting bacterial population growth or for altering the relative ratio of sub-populations of first and second bacteria in a mixed population of bacteria. The invention is particularly useful, for example, for treatment of microbes such as for environmental, medical, food and beverage use. The invention relates inter alia to methods of controlling microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) or biofouling of a substrate or fluid in an industrial or domestic system.
Claims25
A method for modifying a mixed population of bacteria, wherein the mixed population of bacteria comprises a first bacterial sub-population and a second bacterial sub-population, wherein the first bacterial sub-population comprises a first bacterial species and the second bacterial sub-population comprises a population of host cells of a second bacterial species, wherein the second bacterial species is a different species than the first bacterial species, the method comprising:
- (a) contacting the mixed population of bacteria with an engineered nucleic acid for producing a plurality of different host modifying crRNAs (HM-crRNAs), and
- (b) producing the plurality of different HM-crRNAs in the host cells, wherein the plurality of different HM-crRNAs comprises a first nucleotide sequence that hybridizes to a first target sequence in the host cells;
- and a second nucleotide sequence that hybridizes to a second target sequence in the host cells, wherein the second target sequence is different from the first target sequence;
- and wherein:
- 1) the first target sequence is comprised by a first antibiotic resistance gene or RNA thereof and the second target sequence is comprised by a second antibiotic resistance gene or RNA thereof;
- 2) the first target sequence is comprised by an antibiotic resistance gene or RNA thereof and the second target sequence is comprised by an essential gene or a virulence gene or RNA thereof;
- 3) the first target sequence is comprised by a first essential gene or RNA thereof and the second target sequence is comprised by a second essential gene or a virulence gene or RNA thereof;
- or
- 4) the first target sequence is comprised by a first virulence gene or RNA thereof and the second target sequence is comprised by an essential gene or a second virulence gene or RNA thereof;
- wherein:
- (i) the plurality of HM-crRNAs is operable with a type I Cas in the host cells, wherein the engineered nucleic acid and the type I Cas are comprised by a Type I HM-CRISPR/Cas system in the host cells;
- and
- (ii) the plurality of HM-crRNAs guide the type I Cas to modify the target sequences in the host cells,
- wherein the host cells are modified by the Type I HM-CRISPR/Cas system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.