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Programming Nutrient Detection with Modular Regulators for Dynamic Control of Microbial Biosynthesis
Nhu Nguyen1, Vincenzo Kennedy1, Jung Yeon Lee1
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 76207, United States.
ACS Synthetic Biology
|March 4, 2025
Summary
Researchers developed a versatile platform for dynamic control of biosynthesis using modular genetic regulators. This system enables efficient bioproduction by responding to various nutrient signals from agricultural feedstocks in different microbial hosts.
Area of Science:
- Synthetic biology
- Metabolic engineering
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Dynamic control of biosynthetic pathways enhances bioproduction efficiency.
- Genetic sensors responding to feedstock nutrients are common but require extensive genetic part engineering.
- Developing new sensors for diverse nutrients is a significant bottleneck in metabolic engineering.
Purpose of the Study:
- To create a modular dynamic control platform for biosynthesis.
- To enable the use of various nutrient molecules as signals for gene expression.
- To demonstrate host versatility and application in bioproduction.
Main Methods:
- Development of a platform using modular transcriptional regulators.
- Regulators controlling the same promoter but responding to unique signals.
- Implementation of the platform in *Escherichia coli* and *Pseudomonas putida*.
- Programming ethanol production induction using fructose, cellobiose, and galactose.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated that replacing only the regulator allows induction by different nutrient molecules.
- Successfully implemented the platform in two distinct microbial hosts.
- Showcased dynamic control of ethanol production using three different agricultural-derived nutrients.
- Validated the platform's ability to utilize diverse crop-based feedstocks.
Conclusions:
- The developed platform facilitates the dynamic control of biosynthesis.
- It enables the use of various agricultural products as signals for bioproduction.
- This approach simplifies the engineering of cellular responses to different nutrients.
- Enhances the flexibility and efficiency of microbial bioproduction systems.
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