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Project properties |
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| Title | Evaluating stability of synthetic microbial communities for bioproduction |
| Group | Systems and Synthetic Biology |
| Project type | thesis |
| Credits | 36 |
| Supervisor(s) | Dr Pieter Candry |
| Examiner(s) | Dr Pieter Candry; Dr Rob Smith |
| Contact info | pieter.candry@wur.nl |
| Begin date | 2024/02/19 |
| End date | |
| Description | Synthetic microbial communities (SynComs) pair well-understood organisms to achieve novel functions that cannot be catalysed by a single organism. This approach can overcome the metabolic limitations of genetically engineered microbial cell factories, while also providing a higher degree of control than complex microbiomes. Such approaches have enabled converting simple substrates to complex chemicals [1], as well as converting industrial waste and side-streams to chemical building blocks [2–4]. These demonstration cases highlight open questions on the stability of SynComs under variable real-world conditions, and how to measure and engineer SynCom stability.
In this project, the stability of a bioproduction SynCom will be evaluated on multiple levels. In the context of SynComs, stability could refer to long-term coexistence of species, the impact of evolutionary processes, or resilience against (a)biotic stressors. Moreover, evaluating stability could be done either (i) functionally, i.e., product concentration, conversion efficiencies, rates, etc., or (ii) compositionally, e.g., -omics for community abundances & in situ functionalities. Experimental evaluation of these stability features over longer timeframes will provide a starting point to begin understanding and engineering stability in SynComs. Ultimately, this project aims to connect community ecology to bioconversion systems for the development of resilient circular bio-economy processes. References Brooks SM, Marsan C, Reed KB, Yuan SF, Nguyen DD, Trivedi A, et al. A tripartite microbial co-culture system for de novo biosynthesis of diverse plant phenylpropanoids. Nature Communications 2023 14:1 2023; 14: 1–11. Shahab RL, Brethauer S, Davey MP, Smith AG, Vignolini S, Luterbacher JS, et al. A heterogeneous microbial consortium producing short-chain fatty acids from lignocellulose. Science (1979) 2020; 369: 1–9. Diender M, Stams AJM, Sousa DZ. Production of medium chain fatty acids and higher alcohols by a synthetic co-culture grown on carbon monoxide or syngas. Biotechnol Biofuels 2016; 9: 1–11. Wang D, Hunt KA, Candry P, Tao X, Wofford NQ, Zhou J, et al. Cross-Feedings, Competition, and Positive and Negative Synergies in a Four-Species Synthetic Community for Anaerobic Degradation of Cellulose to Methane. mBio 2023. |
| Used skills | Long-term bioreactor operation & evaluation
Understanding of ecological concepts relating to stability |
| Requirements | Understanding of microbial ecology & ecological interactions
Experience with microbial cultivation Understanding of bioreactor systems |