The Gates Foundation Is Funding A Startup’s Plan To Fight Malnutrition With Bacteria

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is funding Kanvas Biosciences to develop an oral synthetic microbiome treatment for environmental enteric dysfunction (EED).

The pill aims to replace harmful gut microbes with beneficial strains, including engineered E. coli, to improve nutrient absorption.

EED is common in regions with poor sanitation and contributes to malnutrition in millions of children.

If successful, the therapy could become a new treatment option where no approved drug currently exists.