Week 1 HW: Principles and Practices

Table of Contents

• 1) Biological engineering application / tool
• 2) Governance / policy goals
• 3) Governance actions
• 4) Scoring governance actions
• 5) Governance Prioritization and Recommendation

1) Biological engineering application tool I want to develop and why

Engineered probiotics for therapeutic compound delivery

Recently, I’ve become fascinated by probiotics after I started growing water kefir grains, a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, mainly because of the benefits often attributed to them, such as helping balance the gut microbiota through the production and release of beneficial compounds. That experience made me wonder: what if we could intentionally design a probiotic strain to deliver a specific compound the body could benefit from? Building on that idea, these engineered probiotic bacterias are designed to be ingested orally, allowing them to travel through the digestive system and proliferate in the gut, where they can produce and release defined “payloads” (e.g., vitamins, enzymes, anti-inflammatory molecules, etc.)

While searching through the literature, I found that recent work highlights that engineered probiotics can modulate the intestinal microenvironment with higher precision than conventional drugs by enabling localized delivery of anti-inflammatory factors, scavenging of excess reactive oxygen species (ROS), restoration of barrier integrity, and regulation of microbial homeostasis (Duan et al., 2025). That said, this is not a completely new idea, there is already research going on exploring engineered probiotics as potential approaches for addressing diseases and disorders related to the gut and digestive system.

2) Governance / policy goals

Safe design to avoid potential risks (Non-malfeasance)

• Evaluate whether the engineered probiotic could unintentionally alter the native microbiome in harmful ways
• Prioritize designs that reduce the chance of the engineered strain persisting uncontrollably, thus avoiding a long-term colonization, they need to be programmed to stop at some point.

Informed Consent and Public Engagement

• Informed the general public about the benefits and potential risks of synthetic biology
• Explain to the general public what engineered probiotics can and cannot do, how they differ from conventional probiotics as well as the potential risks.
• Provide transparent information on the progress and methodology used in this project in accessible language to encourage public trust.

3) Governance actions

a. Establishment of Regulatory Guidelines for Products Derived of Synthetic Biology

• Purpose: Currently, in Peru policies are often general about GMOs and may not clearly address engineered probiotics intended for oral use. I propose creating specific guidelines for the safe development and testing of engineered probiotics.
• Design: This would require coordination between government regulators, research institutions, and public health authorities.
• Assumptions: Currently in Peru the production of GMO is banned. For that reason, anything related to that topic is negatively seen by the population. So it is possible that the efforts to establish a policy to regulate this new product could result in them being banned.
• Risks of Failure & “Success”: Failure could mean either over-restriction or under-regulation which would allow unsafe projects. Even “success” has risks, like an increased visibility and interest, including attention from actors with bad intentions.

b. Educational Programs related to Synthetic Biology

• Purpose: Many people understand “probiotics” as inherently safe, but engineered probiotics are different. This action aims to inform the general public about what engineered probiotics can and cannot do, how they differ from conventional probiotics.
• Design: This action as well involves an integrate collaboration between government, scientific researches, universities, institutes, non-profit scientific organizations and even media outlets to develop and implement a comprehensive public awareness campaign. Activities may include seminars, workshops, banners, social media campaigns, and public forums.
• Assumptions: Is very important to take into account the receptivity of the public to this new information, as well as the effectiveness of communication strategies that tries to convey complex scientific concepts in an accessible and engaging manner. A problem in the communication could drive in negative opinions.
• Risks of Failure & “Success”: Failure in effective communication could increase misinformation, with misconceptions such as “engineered probiotics are dangerous” or “engineered probiotics are the cure of illness”. Success could promote public trust and support, but it could also unintentionally normalize the idea so much that some people attempt unregulated uses or pressure for premature deployment.

c. Promotion of Synthetic Biology Among Scholars

• Purpose: Promoting synthetic biology in academia would increase knowledge, build local expertise, and encourage responsible innovation in areas like engineered probiotics with the consideration of safer designs.
• Design: Universities and scientific organizations could implement workshops, seminars, and curriculum modules focused on: genetic circuit design (e.g., in Benchling), reproducibility, risk assessment, and biosafety-by-design.
• Assumptions: Thanks to the academic background, scholars have a foundational understanding of biological principles and are more inclined to learn and apply topics in emerging fields such as Synthetic Biology.
• Risks of Failure & “Success”: A failure on this may result in low adoption of this technology within academic circles, weak safety practices, or “copy-paste” projects without understanding risks. On the other hand, the success of this action could lead to increased the interest, participation and collaboration between scholars in Synthetic Biology. More scholars into this field will lead to more researches and discoveries that could benefit the general population.

4) Scoring governance actions

5) Governance Prioritization and Recommendation

I would prioritize option 2 and option 3. Before trying to draft or push new laws, it’s important that people understand what engineered probiotics can and cannot do, and how they differ from conventional probiotics. In Peru, this matters even more because the country has a strong legal and cultural sensitivity around GMOs. For example, there is a moratorium on the entry and production of certain living modified organisms for environmental release that has recently been extended until December 31, 2035.