Current limitations in cancer therapies motivated the bioengineering approach to genetically program living cells for cancer therapy. Genetic engineering of bacteria repurposes the natural capabilities of bacterial cells as programmable, safe, and localized vehicles for cancer treatment. While the genetic tools are much more widely available in Gram-negative bacteria like Escherichia coli, there are limits associated with the safety and efficacy of these bacteria. Gram-positive bacteria, Bacillus subtilis, as well as other species of bacilli, are non-pathogenic and have been deemed generally recognized as safe. To date, there has been little effort in engineering B. subtilis for biomedical applications such as cancer drug delivery, despite evidence that several bacilli naturally produce cytotoxic molecules. We aim to identify Gram-positives that can serve as novel candidates for antitumor therapies, while also expanding the available genetic toolbox for species of bacilli in the context of therapeutic drug delivery.

In his talk, Daniel Richman will explore the promise and limitations of two existing institutions— local prosecutors and state governments—as potential contributors to local police accountability and oversight. What should we be looking to ‘progressive prosecutors’ to accomplish? Why have states done so little in the area historically, and can we expect them to do more?

Daniel Richman is the Paul J. Kellner Professor of Law at Columbia Law School