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Related Concept Videos

Microbial Biosensors01:17

Microbial Biosensors

Microbial biosensors are analytical devices that utilize living microbes to detect specific substances through measurable signals. These devices consist of two main components: biosensing organisms and signal-transducing elements. Biosensing organisms, such as Escherichia coli or Saccharomyces cerevisiae, are typically housed in multiwell plates connected to transducers, enabling rapid, real-time detection of target analytes.Signal Generation MechanismWhen a target analyte—such as...
Bioreactor Controls-III01:22

Bioreactor Controls-III

Strain improvement is a foundational strategy in industrial microbiology aimed at maximizing microbial productivity, particularly because natural isolates typically yield commercially valuable products in very low concentrations. Although optimizing the culture medium and environmental conditions can improve yields, these adjustments are inherently limited by the organism’s genetic potential. As a result, the focus shifts toward genetic modifications to enhance biosynthetic capacity. The...
Biosynthesis in Bacteria01:24

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Biosynthesis in bacteria is a fundamental anabolic process that generates essential macromolecules, including proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and polysaccharides. These macromolecules are critical for cellular growth, replication, and function. The process is tightly regulated and energetically linked to catabolic pathways to ensure optimal resource utilization.Biosynthetic pathways begin with precursor metabolites such as pyruvate, acetyl-CoA, and glucose-6-phosphate derived from glycolysis,...
Bioreactor Controls-I01:28

Bioreactor Controls-I

Maintaining optimal conditions within fermenters is essential for maximizing microbial productivity and ensuring process efficiency. This lesson focuses on key parameters—temperature, foam, pH, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and pressure—and their precise measurement and control strategies in fermentation systems.Temperature ControlTemperature regulation is critical due to the exothermic nature of many fermentation processes. In small laboratory fermenters, temperature is commonly monitored using...
Bioreactor Controls-II01:18

Bioreactor Controls-II

In aerobic fermentations, oxygen is vital for microbial growth and metabolite production. Since air comprises only about 20% oxygen and the gas is poorly soluble in water—just 9 ppm at 20°C—supplying sufficient oxygen becomes a critical challenge, especially in high-demand processes like yeast growth or citric acid production. Even a fully saturated broth may offer only a few seconds of oxygen availability.To address this, sterile or scrubbed air is introduced into the fermentor via a sparger...
Biofuels01:25

Biofuels

The microbial conversion of organic matter into biofuels holds potential as a renewable energy source. Among biofuel sources, microalgae are recognized as a highly efficient and adaptable feedstock for biodiesel production, owing to their rapid biomass accumulation, elevated lipid productivity, and capacity to proliferate in diverse aquatic systems, including freshwater, marine, and wastewater habitats. Unlike terrestrial crops, microalgae do not compete for land and can achieve significantly...

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Efficient Sampling of Genetically Encoded Biosensor Design Space Enabled with a Design of Experiments and Automation Workflow
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Synthetic feedback loop model for increasing microbial biofuel production using a biosensor.

Mary E Harrison1, Mary J Dunlop

  • 1School of Engineering, College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, University of Vermont VT, USA.

Frontiers in Microbiology
|November 1, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Engineered microbes produce biofuel, but product toxicity limits yield. A new synthetic feedback loop controls efflux pumps, balancing toxicity and boosting biofuel production by expressing pumps only when needed.

Keywords:
MexRbiofuelbiosensorfeedbacksynthetic biology

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Area of Science:

  • Synthetic biology
  • Metabolic engineering
  • Biotechnology

Background:

  • Microbial biofuel production relies on engineered organisms to convert cellulose to fuel.
  • Biofuel toxicity to producing microbes limits yield, a challenge addressed by efflux pumps.
  • Overexpressing efflux pumps causes cellular burden, hindering growth and production.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a mathematical model for optimizing biofuel production by balancing biofuel toxicity and efflux pump expression.
  • To implement a synthetic feedback loop controlling efflux pump expression via a biosensor.

Main Methods:

  • Mathematical modeling of cell growth and biofuel production.
  • Integration of a synthetic biosensor-controlled feedback loop for efflux pump regulation.
  • Sensitivity analysis to identify key parameters influencing the model.

Main Results:

  • The feedback system maximizes production rate at low biofuel concentrations by delaying pump expression.
  • The model demonstrates microbial adaptation to toxic conditions through triggered efflux pump expression.
  • Compared to constant expression, the feedback system significantly increases overall biofuel production, especially with variable parameters.

Conclusions:

  • A synthetic feedback loop effectively balances biofuel toxicity and cellular burden, enhancing microbial biofuel production.
  • This biosensor-controlled system allows microbes to adapt and sustain biofuel production under toxic conditions.
  • The model highlights the potential of dynamic regulatory strategies in metabolic engineering for improved bioprocesses.