Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
feedstock
degradation
efficiency
target molecule
production
efficiency
(A)
(B)
genomic
E
A
B
C
D
landscape
>
+
overall
productivity
D
C
B
co-culture
mono-culture
Tailored Bioprocess
Optimization
Reduction of
Byproduct Inhibition
(C)
(D)
input strain B
general efflux
+
+
+
product 1
product 2
product 3
+
+
+
320
product 4
product 5
product 6
protein A
protein B
+
+
+
product 7
product 8
product 9
metabolite C
metabolite D
Modular Production
of Biomolecules
Defined Substrate
Exchange/Secretion
FIGURE 17.2
Engineering improvements for synthetic consortia. (A) A synthetic consortium can be designed to reduce byproduct inhibition that accompanies
overaccumulation of a toxic intermediate. (B) A coculture bioprocessing strategy can be used where multiple steps are separately optimized in
different cells to maximize overall productivity. (C) Modular assembly of synthetic consortia using common intermediate metabolites enables
reprogrammable bioprospecting. (D) Production and secretion of multiple metabolites may saturate general cellular machinery.
Specific metabolite export across different cell- types may increase productivity.
circuit, Prindle et al. synchronized local and global sensing mechanisms to generate
periodically synchronized signals that changed in response to arsenic concentration, thereby
generating a macroscopic biosensor using populations of cells.
57
Further demonstrations of
synthetic consortia for biosensing applications are needed.
Biodegradation
Microbial communities naturally degrade various compounds into nutrients to sustain
metabolism. Synthetic communities are increasingly being used to degrade xenobiotic and
recalcitrant compounds. Similarly to the process of synthesis, degradation can be improved
through careful engineering of organisms with desired functionalities that may be modular
and complementary in physiology, resulting in overall improvement in performance of the
