Harnessing Bacteria to Improve Skin Health

There’s been much made of the potential of the microbiome to address disease and promote wellness. While much of the therapeutic efforts in this area have focused on the microbiome of the gut, Azitra has developed a platform for selecting bacteria native to the skin and engineering it to produce therapeutic proteins. We spoke to Travis Whitfill, chief science officer of Azitra, about the company’s platform, why it may be preferable to apply bacteria to the skin that can produce therapeutic proteins where they are needed, and why some of the biggest opportunities for the technology may be in the health and beauty markets.