Translating a new metabolic engineering strategy to industrial biotech applications

Introduction

Industrial biotechnology plays a key role on the road to a sustainable, climate-neutral, and circular economy. However, disruptive innovations are needed to substantially increase the efficiency of bio-based processes for the production of chemicals.

Project Overview

The ERC CoG project StrainBooster aimed to develop a generic metabolic engineering strategy to maximize the productivity of microbial cell factories. It is based on the concept of enforced ATP wasting (EAW), a targeted intervention in the energy metabolism of the cell that enhances the overall metabolic activity, boosting also product synthesis.

Achievements

The project reached its central goals and could demonstrate in several case studies the enormous potential of EAW to improve productivity (up to tenfold increase) and product yield.

Next Steps

With these results, StrainBooster’s innovation is now mature to initiate a transfer from small-scale example processes in an academic lab to realistic industrial applications. This is the goal of the PoC project TRANSMETECH.

Collaborations

Two companies, one younger startup (COLIPI) and one established big biotech player (BASF), have already indicated their high interest to collaborate with us within this PoC project to jointly explore the potential of EAW for their innovative bioprocesses:

• Oil production by oleaginous yeast (COLIPI)
• Synthesis of terpenoid-based products (BASF)

Further Developments

In addition, to further improve the efficiency of EAW in industrial applications, we will validate different expression systems for autoinduction of EAW in two-stage processes, which are also directly relevant for our partners.

Conclusion

In summary, through TRANSMETECH we will establish partnerships with biotech companies to facilitate the translation of the StrainBooster approach and showcase its power in concrete industrial applications.

Long-term Impact

On the long run, our method will enable higher efficiencies of commercial bioprocesses and thus contribute to the establishment of sustainable production routes, one of the most urgent societal challenges.