A Gulp Of Genetically Modified Bacteria Might Someday Treat A Range Of Illnesses

Instead of eating a typical breakfast every day, Jonah Reeder gulps down a special protein shake.

"The nutrients in it like to sit at the bottom, so I usually have to shake it up and get all the nutrients from the protein and everything," says Reeder, 21, of Farmington, Utah, as he shakes a big plastic bottle.

Reeder was born with a rare genetic disorder called phenylketonuria, or PKU. If he eats meat, drinks milk or consumes other common sources of protein, toxic levels of the amino acid phenylalanine could build up in his body and damage his brain.

So Reeder gets his protein from the shake, which is rich in other amino acids, vitamins and proteins that don't contain phenylalanine.

"It's a really healthy drink," Reeder says. "It's basically protein, except without phenylalanine."

But Reeder hopes a new approach for treating diseases could help people like him. The idea is to use bacteria that have been genetically modified to do what Reeder's body can't — get rid of phenylalanine.

"I'm really excited to help out and hopefully find a treatment for PKU," Reeder said recently, as he prepared to volunteer for a study testing the modified bacteria.