Objective BaSynthec will combine computational and experimental biology approaches with novel high-throughput methodologies to reduce and modify à la carte the chromosome of Bacillus subtilis, a genetically tractable bacterium and one of the key microbes used as a Cell Factory in biotechnology. Simpler B. subtilis strains with reduced energy consumption for self maintenance will be designed and constructed by removing some potentially expensive cellular processes. The cells with the lowest experimentally determined waste of energy and with industrially relevant phenotypes will be engineered to reroute the flux devoted to biomass formation through rational modifications of the complex metabolic regulations, and will be used as biotechnological platforms to plug in synthetic modules. For this purpose, BaSynthec will develop a model-driven approach to design and engineer the strains with predetermined features, with a particular focus on unrestricted metabolic activity and the plug-in of synthetic functional modules. This strategy is based on the recent development of two complementary modelling approaches for B. subtilis: i) a genome-scale model of genetic and metabolic regulatory networks associated with a novel method called “Resource Balance Analysis” defining the formal background of model-based approaches for engineering strains; and ii) the development of a new genome-scale metabolic model of B. subtilis which is the most complete and accurate that exists today. Two pathways of high biotechnological relevance will be used for establishing the proof-of-principle of the assembly of functional synthetic modules: i) the vitamin B5 biosynthetic pathway, and ii) the secretion machinery for the export of extra-cellular enzymes. It is anticipated that validated simpler bacterial strains together with the modelling framework generated by BaSynthec will be used as generic biotechnological platforms to better control and exploit cell metabolism in industrial processes. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologybacteriologynatural sciencesbiological sciencescell biologycell metabolismnatural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticschromosomesnatural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsgenomesnatural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteinsenzymes Programme(s) FP7-KBBE - Specific Programme "Cooperation": Food, Agriculture and Biotechnology Topic(s) KBBE-2009-3-6-05 - Synthetic biology for biotechnological applications Call for proposal FP7-KBBE-2009-3 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme CP-FP - Small or medium-scale focused research project Coordinator INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE POUR L'AGRICULTURE, L'ALIMENTATION ET L'ENVIRONNEMENT EU contribution € 893 043,00 Address 147 RUE DE L'UNIVERSITE 75007 Paris France See on map Region Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Paris Activity type Research Organisations Administrative Contact Philippe Noirot (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Participants (7) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all ACADEMISCH ZIEKENHUIS GRONINGEN Netherlands EU contribution € 326 422,00 Address HANZEPLEIN 1 9713 GZ Groningen See on map Region Noord-Nederland Groningen Overig Groningen Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Jan Maarten Van Dijl (Prof.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO United States EU contribution No data Address S ELLIS AVE 5801 ROOM 503 60637 Chicago Illinois See on map Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Rick Stevens (Prof.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data DSM Nutritional Products Ltd Switzerland EU contribution € 306 510,00 Address Wurmisweg 576 4303 Kaiseraugst See on map Region Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Nordwestschweiz Aargau Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Zoltán Prágai (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data EIDGENOESSISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZUERICH Switzerland EU contribution € 607 418,00 Address Raemistrasse 101 8092 Zuerich See on map Region Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Zürich Zürich Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Uwe Sauer (Prof.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data UNIVERSITAET GREIFSWALD Germany EU contribution € 339 203,00 Address DOMSTRASSE 11 17489 Greifswald See on map Region Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Vorpommern-Greifswald Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Michael Hecker (Prof.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data INRAE TRANSFERT SAS France EU contribution € 222 854,00 Address RUE DU DOCTEUR FINLAY 28 75015 Paris See on map Region Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Paris Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Marie Dufourcq (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data NOVOZYMES A/S Denmark EU contribution € 297 712,00 Address Krogshoejvej 36 2880 Bagsvaerd See on map Region Danmark Hovedstaden Københavns omegn Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Michael Dolberg Rasmussen (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data