Objective
Metabolic engineering creates improved microbes for industrial biotechnology. Rational design of industrial microbes centres on modifications of genes with known roles in the production pathway of interest. However, genes that are unrelated to the production pathway are also known to substantially impact productivity. To date there are no methods that allow the prediction of such distal genes on a rational basis. Effects of distal genes are indirect, and mediated through regulatory interactions between metabolites and proteins, most of which are currently unknown even in the well-studied microbe Escherichia coli. The lack of knowledge of metabolite-protein interactions thus effectively prohibits systematic exploration of distal regulatory relationships, with the consequence that models used to predict metabolic engineering targets are severely limited and rarely applied in industrial biotechnology. Previously, we used small-scale metabolic models and metabolomics to infer metabolite-protein interactions in specific pathways. In this project we propose a novel genome-wide endeavor to map metabolite-protein interactions across the entire metabolic network. For this purpose, we will use the recently developed CRISPR interference system to quantitatively perturb >900 single metabolic genes in E. coli. Combining the metabolomics data of these >900 gene perturbations with a genome-scale metabolic model will enable us to infer functionally relevant metabolite-protein interactions. Finally, we will apply this knowledge to the model-guided metabolic engineering of superior E. coli strains. Specifically, we want E. coli to cease growth upon induction and focus all its metabolic resources towards synthesis of succinic acid. This controlled uncoupling of growth from overproduction on a rational basis will break new grounds in metabolic engineering and opens up novel applications in industrial biotechnology.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology industrial biotechnology metabolic engineering
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry metabolomes
- natural sciences chemical sciences organic chemistry amines
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins enzymes
- natural sciences computer and information sciences artificial intelligence computational intelligence
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
ERC-STG - Starting Grant
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2016-STG
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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.
72074 Tuebingen
Germany
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.