Overview

• The ingestible optoelectronic capsule integrates LEDs, a photomultiplier, batteries and Bluetooth to interface with engineered Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 that emit light upon sensing gut inflammation.
• In three pigs with induced colitis, the capsule detected bacterial bioluminescence triggered by nitrate biomarkers and sent Bluetooth signals to activate optogenetic circuits that produced anti-inflammatory antibodies and resolved inflammation.
• An accompanying editorial from Imperial College London highlights this work as the first demonstration of bidirectional endoluminal signaling between orally delivered probiotics and ingestible electronics in a large-animal model.
• Additional experiments showed the platform can initiate secretion of therapeutic proteins such as anti-TNF nanobodies in mouse models of inflammatory bowel disease, underscoring its versatility.
• Researchers plan to refine repeated communication cycles, adapt capsule design for human anatomy and initiate first-in-human clinical trials to advance precision microbiome diagnostics and therapies.