Microbial biosynthesis of designer outer membrane vesicles

Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are nanoscale proteoliposomes that are ubiquitously secreted by Gram-negative bacteria. Interest in these bioparticles has escalated over the years, leading to discoveries regarding their composition, production, and vaccine potential. Given that many steps in vesicle biogenesis are 'engineerable,' it is now possible to tailor OMVs for specific applications. Such tailoring involves modifying the OMV-producing bacterium through protein, pathway, or genome engineering in a manner that specifically alters the final OMV product. For example, targeted deletion or upregulation of genes associated with the cell envelope can modulate vesicle production or remodel the composition of vesicle components such as lipopolysaccharide. Likewise, bacteria can be reprogrammed to incorporate heterologously expressed proteins into either the membrane or lumenal compartment of OMVs. We anticipate that further research in the field of OMV engineering will enable continued design and biosynthesis of specialized vesicles for numerous biotechnological purposes ranging from the delivery of vaccines to the deconstruction of cellulosic substrates.