Dr. Lesser is a Professor of Molecular Biology and Microbiology at the Tufts University School of Medicine interested in developing smart microbes for the targeted delivery of therapeutic payloads to sites of disease. The Lesser Lab uses cutting-edge genetic technologies to outfit safe, beneficial bacteria with new capabilities. These bacteria can be designed to secrete a variety of proteins, including nanobodies, a new class of therapeutics that include proteins that bind to and neutralize disease-causing agents with exquisite specificity. The Lesser Lab’s platform, called PROT3EcT (PRObiotic Type 3 secretion E. coli Therapeutic), has the potential to be a novel, safe, effective, and cost-effective way to use beneficial bacteria to treat and potential cure a range of diseases, including infections, inflammatory conditions, and cancer.