Design of Smart, Lipid-Secreting Nasal Probiotic for the Suppression of Respiratory Viral Infections
Date Thesis Awarded
11-2020
Access Type
Honors Thesis -- Access Restricted On-Campus Only
Degree Name
Bachelors of Science (BS)
Department
Biology
Advisor
Margaret Saha
Committee Members
Mainak Patel
Leah Shaw
Mark Forsyth
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the urgent need for robust testing procedures, effective vaccines, behavioral modifications such as wearing masks and social distancing, and finally, for therapeutics. The pandemic has especially underscored the need for broad-spectrum antiviral therapeutics, which constitute a form of pandemic preparedness in that they may be effective against viruses that have yet to emerge. To address the need for broad-spectrum antiviral therapeutics, this study aims to design components of a smart nasal probiotic that secretes polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) to suppress viral infection and regulate inflammation. Specifically, this study aims to design and model a system for the export of PUFA following its synthesis within a bacterial cell, which has yet to be described in the literature. In addition to probiotic use, such a novel export system would have various industrial and therapeutic applications related to fatty acid production and isolation.
Recommended Citation
Urban, Julia, "Design of Smart, Lipid-Secreting Nasal Probiotic for the Suppression of Respiratory Viral Infections" (2020). Undergraduate Honors Theses. William & Mary. Paper 1576.
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses/1576
