Exploring metabolic diversity for sustainable bioproduct production

• Grant number: 22/07368-2
• Support Opportunities: Program for Research on Bioenergy (BIOEN) - Regular Program Grants
• Start date: May 01, 2023
• End date: October 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Molecular Genetics and Genetics of Microorganisms
• Principal Investigator: Danielle Biscaro Pedrolli
• Grantee: Danielle Biscaro Pedrolli
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCFAR). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Valéria de Carvalho Santos Ebinuma
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/07523-3 - Deciphering the blue pigment indigoidine of engineered bacteria using a multi-omics approach for improvement of bioproduction, BP.PD; 23/16746-3 - Development of a Bacillus subtilis strain to produce 5-aminolevulinc acid, BP.DD

Abstract

The transition from an economy based on fossil fuels to a bioeconomy is an important step toward reducing global carbon emissions. In addition, safety and health concerns associated with the production and use of synthetic compounds have fueled an increasing demand for environmentally sustainable natural products. An increasing part of the bioeconomy is played by the production of biocompounds from biomass. However, many biocompounds cannot be sufficiently produced and extracted from natural sources. Recently developed synthetic biology and metabolic engineering tools have greatly enhanced our ability to engineer strains with the ability to synthesize natural and unnatural compounds from sugars and plant biomass. We also gained a greater ability to engineer autotrophic microorganisms, capable of fixing carbon and converting CO2 into products of industrial interest. We propose the engineering of bacterial strains for the production of a bioproduct from heterotrophic, mixotrophic, and autotrophic metabolisms. This metabolic diversity will enable the development of productive processes adaptable to different industrial needs and structures. (AU)