International Journal of Clinical Case Reports 2024, Vol.14, No.2, 66-78 http://medscipublisher.com/index.php/ijccr 69 compounds. For instance, synthetic biology tools have been employed to engineer probiotics to produce small molecule therapeutics within the gut, which can help in regulating metabolism and modulating immune responses (Dou and Bennett, 2018). Additionally, the use of gene editing tools like CRISPR-Cas systems allows for precise modifications in probiotic genomes, enhancing their ability to perform specific metabolic functions that are crucial for gut health (Kumar et al., 2022). Recent studies have focused on optimizing the production of beneficial metabolites and improving the overall metabolic efficiency of probiotics. Jain et al. (2021) work to study the engineering Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria to increase lactic acid production. Enhanced lactic acid production improves gut health by lowering pH and inhibiting pathogenic bacteria. Techniques such as gene editing and pathway optimization have been employed to achieve this. Yadav et al. (2018) found that, increasing EPS production in probiotics like Lactobacillus reuteri enhances their ability to adhere to the gut mucosa and modulate the host's immune response. Genetic modifications have been used to introduce novel pathways for EPS synthesis, resulting in improved probiotic adherence and immunomodulatory effects. Huang et al. (2022) found that engineered probiotics could produce higher levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) (Figure 1), such as butyrate can have significant health benefits, including anti-inflammatory effects and improved gut barrier function. This has been achieved through the introduction of genes involved in SCFA production pathways. Figure 1 Omprehensive analysis of butyrate production in bacterial communities (Adapted from Clark et al., 2021) Image caption: Utilizing data from 1-2 species and 24-25 species experiments. The scatter plot (Panel a) illustrates the variation in butyrate production across different community complexities, highlighting specific communities lacking certain butyrate producers (e.g., DP−, AC−). Panel b shows predicted butyrate levels for 3-5 member communities, using a model trained on simpler communities, represented by median predictions and 60% confidence intervals. Panel c correlates measured versus predicted butyrate concentrations, displaying a strong Pearson correlation, which underscores the model's effectiveness in predicting butyrate production across varying community structures. The methodology, combining experimental and predictive approaches, offers valuable insights into microbial interactions and their impact on metabolic output (Adapted from Clark et al., 2021) 3.2 Enhancing microbial interactions and synergy within SynComs Synthetic microbial communities (SynComs) are designed to mimic natural microbial ecosystems, enhancing probiotic functionality through synergistic interactions. These communities consist of multiple microbial species that work together to provide greater health benefits than single-strain probiotics. SynComs are carefully constructed to include microbial species that can work together to produce desired outcomes, such as improved gut health and resistance to pathogens (van Leeuwen et al., 2023; Martins et al., 2023). SynComs can improve nutrient acquisition and inhibit pathogenic infections more effectively than single strains. Studies have shown that
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