Seminario - Biotecnologie e Bioscienze - Giovedì 10 luglio 2025, ore 16:30, edificio BIOS-U3, aula U3-07
John Morrissey, SUSFERM Fermentation Science Centre, University College Cork, Ireland.
Abstract
The transition to a sustainable bio-based economy will rely on engineered microbes producing value-added products in biorefinery settings. In a flexible biorefinery, it should be possible to adapt inputs and strains to manufacture different products as required. We are developing the food yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus for production of aromatics that may be useful as natural flavours, fragrances or dyes. This yeast was chosen because its intrinsic robustness and broad substrate range make it an attractive host for production from feedstocks derived from food or industrial processes. For use in a dairy biorefinery, the native capacity to assimilate lactose is a key advantage. We established a synthetic biology toolkit based on CRISPR engineering and the YTK Golden Gate standard that enables rapid construction of engineered strains. We then produced a set of chassis strains that channelled flux towards different aromatic amino acids. This involved optimisation of precursor supply for the shikimate pathway, as well as targeted deletion, overexpression, or re-regulation of specific genes in particular pathways. As a proof of concept, we demonstrated production from whey permeate of the volatile molecule 2-phenylethanol at >1g/litre in flask cultivation. Our goal is to have diverse strains for use in flexible biorefineries so we are continuing to engineer strains that can be used to produce designer aromatic products. We added a module to a phenylalanine over-producing strain so that it now produces coumaric acid, the key precursor of flavonoids and other high value phenylpropanoids. In collaboration with colleagues in UNIMB, we also engineered the tryptophan branch opening the prospect of production of a range of natural and novel pigments and dyes.
Ospite: Paola Branduardi
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