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Synthetic Biology underpins advances in the bioeconomy

Biological systems - including the simplest cells - exhibit a broad range of functions to thrive in their environment. Research in the Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology is focused on the possibility of engineering the underlying biochemical processes to solve many of the challenges facing society, from healthcare to sustainable energy. In particular, we model, analyse, design and build biological and biochemical systems in living cells and/or in cell extracts, both exploring and enhancing the engineering potential of biology. 

As part of our research we develop novel methods to accelerate the celebrated Design-Build-Test-Learn synthetic biology cycle. As such research in the Centre for Synthetic Biology highly multi- and interdisciplinary covering computational modelling and machine learning approaches; automated platform development and genetic circuit engineering ; multi-cellular and multi-organismal interactions, including gene drive and genome engineering; metabolic engineering; in vitro/cell-free synthetic biology; engineered phages and directed evolution; and biomimetics, biomaterials and biological engineering.

Publications

Citation

BibTex format

@article{Celinska:2019:femsyr/foy122,
author = {Celinska, E and Borkowska, M and Bialas, W and Kubiak, M and Korpys, P and Archacka, M and Ledesma-Amaro, R and Nicaud, J-M},
doi = {femsyr/foy122},
journal = {FEMS Yeast Research},
title = {Genetic engineering of Ehrlich pathway modulate production of higher alcohols in engineered Yarrowia lipolytica},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femsyr/foy122},
volume = {19},
year = {2019}
}

RIS format (EndNote, RefMan)

TY  - JOUR
AB - Microbial cells can produce a vast spectrum of chemical compounds, including those most desired by the global chemical market, as for example higher alcohols, which are promising alternative fuels and chemical feedstock. In the current research, we investigated the effects of the Ehrlich pathway genetic engineering on higher alcohols production in Y. lipolytica, which directly follows our previous findings concerning elucidation of putative molecular identities involved in this pathway. To this end, we constructed two alternative expression cassettes composed of previously identified genes, putatively involved in the Ehrlich pathway in Y. lipolytica, and cloned them under the control of constitutive pTEF promoter, and by this-released them from extensive native regulation. The effects of the pathway engineering were investigated upon provision of different, Ehrlich pathway-inducing amino acids (L-Phe, L-Leu, L-Ile and L-Val). In general, amplification of the Ehrlich pathway in many cases led to increased formation of a respective higher alcohol from its precursor. We observed interesting effects of aminotransferase BAT2 deletion on synthesis of 2-phenylethanol and its acetate ester, significant relationship between L-Val and L-Phe catabolic pathways, and extensive 'cross-induction' of the derivative compounds synthesis by non-direct precursors.
AU - Celinska,E
AU - Borkowska,M
AU - Bialas,W
AU - Kubiak,M
AU - Korpys,P
AU - Archacka,M
AU - Ledesma-Amaro,R
AU - Nicaud,J-M
DO - femsyr/foy122
PY - 2019///
SN - 1567-1356
TI - Genetic engineering of Ehrlich pathway modulate production of higher alcohols in engineered Yarrowia lipolytica
T2 - FEMS Yeast Research
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femsyr/foy122
UR - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30452758
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/64857
VL - 19
ER -