People, Parasites, and Plagues
People, Parasites, and Plagues is a podcast aimed at delivering information about the fascinating pathogens among us from the impressive professionals who study them. Join our hosts Dr. David Peterson and Dr. Kim Klonowski, two infectious disease researchers from the University of Georgia, as we explore the past, present, and future of science. Tune in every other week for a new and enlightening episode as we unpack the details surrounding some of Earth’s most perplexing diseases.
People, Parasites, and Plagues
From Pathogen to Prescription: Reimagining E. coli
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What if your gut bacteria could become medicine?
In this episode, a UGA microbiologist, Greg Phillips, reveals how engineered probiotic E. coli can produce L-dopa, the frontline treatment for Parkinson’s, directly inside the gut. We explore the gut–brain connection, the power of the microbiome, and how living microbes could become the next generation of drug delivery systems.
From World War I probiotic strains to modern genetic engineering, this episode takes you inside a bold new frontier of microbiome-based medicine.