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Project properties |
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| Title | Enhancing Butanol Production through Metabolic Interplay: A Genome-Scale Investigation of Bacillus cereus and Clostridium beijerinckii Co-Culture Dynamics |
| Group | Systems and Synthetic Biology |
| Project type | thesis |
| Credits | 36 |
| Supervisor(s) | Dr. William Scott, Dr. Pieter Candry |
| Examiner(s) | Dr. Peter Schaap, Dr. Jasper Koehorst |
| Contact info | robert1.smith@wur.nl |
| Begin date | 2024/02/02 |
| End date | |
| Description | To utilize genome-scale metabolic modeling (GSMM) to decipher the metabolic interactions between Bacillus cereus and Clostridium beijerinckii and optimize their co-culture for maximal butanol production under non-anaerobic conditions.
Bio-butanol is a promising biofuel with superior properties compared to bio-ethanol, including higher energy content and lower water solubility. While Clostridium beijerinckii is a well-known butanol producer, its anaerobic nature limits its applicability. However, certain strains of Bacillus cereus can tolerate and potentially enhance butanol production in non-anaerobic environments. The metabolic interplay between these bacteria in a co-culture system could unlock new pathways for efficient butanol biosynthesis. By leveraging the strengths of both organisms: • Develop a robust co-culture system that efficiently produces butanol under non-anaerobic conditions. • Identify key metabolic interactions and cross-feeding events that promote butanol biosynthesis. • Pave the way for industrial applications, enhancing the feasibility of bio-butanol as an alternative fuel source. |
| Used skills | Metabolic modeling, biological data interpretation, basic understanding of microbial genomics, and computational tool assessment |
| Requirements | An understanding of the principles of microbial systems, familiarity with the Linux environment, and experience with at least one programming language. |