The GMO tooth microbe that is supposed to prevent cavities
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About seven years ago, Aaron Silverbook and his then-girlfriend, a biologist, were perusing old scientific literature online. A romantic evening," joked Silverbook. That night, he came across a study from 2000 that surprised him. Scientists had genetically engineered an oral bacterium that they said could possibly prevent tooth decay: I read it and sort of boggled at it and said, Wow, this is a cavity vaccine. Why don't we have this?'"
So, Silverbook tracked down the primary author, Jeffrey Hillman, a now-retired oral biologist formerly at the University of Florida, to see if he could pick up the torch.
In 2023, Silverbook founded Lantern Bioworks, which made a deal with Oragenics, the company Hillman co-founded and that owned the technology, for the materials. Lantern Bioworks then launched the genetically engineered bacteria under the name Lumina Probiotic. I didn't expect it to happen in my lifetime," said Hillman.