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Translating a new metabolic engineering strategy to industrial biotech applications

Project description

Innovative engineering strategy for industrial bio-processes

Industrial biotechnology is crucial for a sustainable economy. The StrainBooster project developed a metabolic engineering strategy using enforced ATP wasting (EAW) to enhance microbial productivity, achieving up to a tenfold increase in productivity. The ERC-funded TRANSMETECH project will build on this by exploring EAW for innovative bio-processes, such as oil production with oleaginous yeast and terpenoid synthesis. The project will test various expression systems for auto-induction to improve EAW efficiency in industrial applications. It will also establish partnerships with biotech companies to demonstrate the effectiveness of the StrainBooster approach in real-world applications. Ultimately, this method will enhance the efficiency of commercial bio-processes and support the development of sustainable production routes to address urgent societal challenges.

Objective

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. 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. 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.
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. 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) and synthesis of terpenoid-based products (BASF)). 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.
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. 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.

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) ERC-2022-POC2

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Host institution

MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN EV
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 150 000,00
Address
HOFGARTENSTRASSE 8
80539 MUNCHEN
Germany

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Region
Bayern Oberbayern München, Kreisfreie Stadt
Activity type
Research Organisations
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Total cost

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