Better Drug-Producing Bacteria

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Schoenhaut's company is developing a treatment for Hepatitis C based on RNA interference, a molecular technology used to silence specific genes. But the way the drug is made -- via replication of DNA segments in bacteria -- means it's difficult to grow with high fidelity in bacteria. "We want the lowest potential for mutation, and [Blattner's] strains provide that," says Schoenhaut. "I think his approach of making bacteria safer and more streamline will be important in making the next phase therapeutics."

Blattner has founded a company, Scarab Genomics, based in Madison, WI, to develop and market the stripped-down bugs. Harvard's Church says he thinks academics are unlikely to adopt the bacteria if they are costly or require licenses that claim future commercial rights. Academic scientists can buy the bugs with no license for some research, but need a license for commercial research or production, says Blattner.