Discovery and development of new non-model bacterial chassis for biotechnological applications

• Grant number: 21/01748-5
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• Start date: June 01, 2022
• End date: May 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: María Eugenia Guazzaroni
• Grantee: María Eugenia Guazzaroni
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Rafael Silva Rocha ; Valeria Reginatto Spiller
• Associated scholarship(s): 25/05067-3 - Determination of antimicrobial resistance profile in potential bacterial chassis, BP.TT; 24/16367-5 - Sustainable production of value-added compounds derived from the glyoxylic acid pathway by Pseudomonas spp. in bioelectrochemical systems, BP.MS; 23/15410-1 - Genomic and functional characterization of new bacterial species capable of degrading a highly recalcitrant urban waste leachate, BP.MS; + associated scholarships 24/11497-8 - Experimental validation of physiological properties identified in the genomes of potential bacterial chassis, BP.TT; 23/12156-7 - Development of a bacteria resistant to high osmolarity through the exploration of biological parts, BP.MS; 24/06734-0 - Elucidation and characterization of potential biological applications on non-model bacterial chassis, BP.PD; 23/17749-6 - Assessment of the impact of new multifunctional bacteria on the growth of soybean plants and their interaction with the soil microbiota, BP.MS; 23/04382-7 - Identification and characterization of new bacteria of agronomic relevance with multifunctional potential, BP.DR; 23/10902-3 - Determination of the antimicrobial resistance profile in potential bacterial chassis, BP.TT; 21/09375-3 - Development of new microbial platforms tolerant to lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysates, BP.DR - associated scholarships

Abstract

The construction of an economy centered on biotechnology, agriculture and biodiversity, will make it possible to replace products that are currently made using fossil fossils. Thus, the search and development of new biocatalysts are essential for the establishment of sustainable industrial processes. In the last decade, advances in several disciplines allowed metabolic engineers and synthetic biologists to design and implement the production of different types of biomolecules in microorganisms. However, there are still two main limitations in the area: (I) the lack of microbial chassis with intrinsically enhanced biochemical or physiological properties to optimize industry-specific processes, and (II) a limited collection of biological parts for genetic edition of unconventional microbial hosts. Thus, the present project aims to obtain ideal microbial cells in which synthetic circuits of biotechnological interest can be implanted using two different and complementary approaches. On the one hand, the prospecting of new bacterial chassis will be carried out by isolating them from abundant and cheap carbon sources. Then, their genomes will be sequenced and biological parts and molecular tools will be characterized for some of the new isolated bacteria, chosen according to the genes and metabolic pathways of interest. On the other hand, the second approach aims to make use of biological data mining in order to seek new tools for the genetic manipulation of Pseudomonas putida, a Gram-negative bacterium with emerging industrial properties, as well as new genes that can give greater robustness to microorganisms under extreme conditions, as needed in industrial bioprocesses. (AU)

Scientific publications

(9)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

AMARELLE, VANESA; ROLDAN, DIEGO M.; FABIANO, ELENA; GUAZZARONI, MARIA-EUGENIA. Synthetic Biology Toolbox for Antarctic Pseudomonas sp. Strains: Toward a Psychrophilic Nonmodel Chassis for Function-Driven Metagenomics. ACS SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY, v. 12, n. 3, p. 13-pg., 2023-03-02. (21/01748-5)

RABICO, FRANCIENE; BORELLI, TIAGO CABRAL; ALNOCH, ROBSON CARLOS; POLIZELI, MARIA DE LOURDES TEIXEIRA DE MORAES; DA SILVA, RICARDO R.; SILVA-ROCHA, RAFAEL; GUAZZARONI, MARIA-EUGENIA. Novel Pseudomonas Species Prevent the Growth of the Phytopathogenic Fungus Aspergillus flavus. BIOTECH, v. 13, n. 2, p. 20-pg., 2024-06-01. (20/02207-5, 21/01748-5, 19/05026-4, 17/18922-2, 21/08235-3)

ALVES, LUANA DE FATIMA; BORTOLUCCI, JONATA; REGINATTO, VALERIA; GUAZZARONI, MARIA-EUGENIA; MUSSATTO, SOLANGE I.. Improving Saccharomyces cerevisiae acid and oxidative stress resistance using a prokaryotic gene identified by functional metagenomics. HELIYON, v. 9, n. 4, p. 12-pg., 2023-04-01. (21/01748-5, 16/06323-4, 20/03168-3, 18/16191-3)

PEDRINO, MATHEUS; NARCIZO, JULIA PEREIRA; AGUIAR, INAIA RAMOS; REGINATTO, VALERIA; GUAZZARONI, MARIA-EUGENIA. Upgrading Pseudomonas sp. toward Tolerance to a Synthetic Biomass Hydrolysate Enriched with Furfural and 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural. ACS OMEGA, v. 10, n. 6, p. 11-pg., 2025-02-10. (23/17749-6, 21/09375-3, 21/01748-5)

ARINI, GABRIEL SANTOS; BORELLI, TIAGO CABRAL; FERREIRA, ELTHON GOIS; DE FELICIO, RAFAEL; REZENDE-TEIXEIRA, PAULA; PEDRINO, MATHEUS; RABICO, FRANCIENE; DE SIQUEIRA, GUILHERME MARCELINO VIANA; MENCUCINI, LUIZ GABRIEL; TSUJI, HENRIQUE; et al. A multi-omics reciprocal analysis for characterization of bacterial metabolism. FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCES, v. 12, p. 15-pg., 2025-03-20. (20/02207-5, 21/09375-3, 19/25432-7, 21/08235-3, 21/01748-5, 17/18922-2, 21/10401-9)

GASPAR, GILBERTO G.; TAMASCO, GUSTAVO; ABICHABKI, NATHALIA; SCARANELLO, ANA FLAVIA T.; AUXILIADORA-MARTINS, MARIA; POCENTE, RENATA; ANDRADE, LEONARDO N.; GUAZZARONI, MARIA-EUGENIA; SILVA-ROCHA, RAFAEL; BOLLELA, VALDES R.. Nosocomial Outbreak of Extensively Drug-Resistant (Polymyxin B and Carbapenem) Klebsiella pneumoniae in a Collapsed University Hospital Due to COVID-19 Pandemic. ANTIBIOTICS-BASEL, v. 11, n. 6, p. 12-pg., 2022-06-01. (21/01748-5, 19/15675-0)

NARCIZO, JULIA PEREIRA; MANCILIO, LUCCA BONJY KIKUTI; PEDRINO, MATHEUS; GUAZZARONI, MARIA-EUGENIA; DE ANDRADE, ADALGISA RODRIGUES; REGINATTO, VALERIA. A New Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolate Enhances Its Unusual 1,3-Propanediol Generation from Glycerol in Bioelectrochemical System. CATALYSTS, v. 13, n. 7, p. 13-pg., 2023-07-01. (21/07294-6, 21/01655-7, 21/09375-3, 22/04024-0, 21/01748-5)

DE SIQUEIRA, GUILHERME MARCELINO VIANA; GUAZZARONI, MARIA-EUGENIA. Host-Dependent Improvement of GFP Expression in Pseudomonas putida KT2440 Using Terminators of Metagenomic Origin. ACS SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY, v. 12, n. 5, p. 5-pg., 2023-05-01. (19/25432-7, 21/01748-5)

HUANCA-JUAREZ, JOSHELIN; NASCIMENTO-SILVA, EDSON ALEXANDRE; SILVA, NINNA HIRATA; SILVA-ROCHA, RAFAEL; GUAZZARONI, MARIA-EUGENIA. Identification and functional analysis of novel protein-encoding sequences related to stress-resistance. FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY, v. 14, p. 11-pg., 2023-09-28. (21/01748-5)