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Project properties |
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| Title | Precision-Fit Yeast: Accelerating Sustainable Bioproduction with CRISPR-Cas |
| Group | Systems and Synthetic Biology |
| Project type | thesis |
| Credits | 36 |
| Supervisor(s) | Stefan Hoffmann, Carina Nieuwenweg |
| Examiner(s) | Stefan Hoffmann, Rob Smith |
| Contact info | robert1.smith@wur.nl
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| Begin date | 2025/04/01 |
| End date | |
| Description | Yeast is a powerful platform for the sustainable production of pharmaceuticals, food ingredients, cosmetic ingredients, and other fine chemicals. By engineering yeast strains to produce target compounds at high yields, we can reduce dependence on plant-based sources, eliminating the need for large-scale cultivation of plants that naturally produce these compounds at low yields. This approach enhances sustainability, improves supply chain resilience, and enables more efficient biomanufacturing.
A key technology enabling precise genetic modifications in yeast is CRISPR-Cas, a genome-editing tool originally derived from bacterial immune systems. CRISPR-Cas allows for targeted DNA modifications with high efficiency, making it a powerful tool for strain engineering. By directing the CRISPR-Cas system to specific sites in the yeast genome, we can introduce beneficial genetic changes that enhance strain performance, metabolic efficiency, and product yield. Project Goals 1. Identifying genomic targets – Using desk research and computational tools, we will analyze metabolic and regulatory pathways in yeast to pinpoint genetic modifications that could enhance yield, stability, or efficiency in fermentation. 2. Engineering yeast strains – We will construct a small collection of modified yeast strains using our CRISPR-Cas system, systematically introducing targeted alterations to improve fermentation performance. 3. Strain selection and optimization – The engineered strains will be evaluated for key performance indicators such as growth rate, metabolite production, and robustness under industrial conditions. The best-performing strain will serve as the basis for further development and application in precision fermentation. By developing a robust and optimized yeast strain, we aim to create a versatile platform for precision fermentation, accelerating the transition to bio-based production of valuable compounds. |
| Used skills | Required competences for this project include general experience in molecular biology techniques such as PCR and DNA assembly methods. |
| Requirements | Required competences for this project include: Knowledge of PCR and molecular cloning. |