Applications of Model-Driven Metabolic Engineering

We combine computational (dry-lab; see project area 1) and genetic (wet-lab) techniques to test and establish new metabolic engineering strategies and to construct microbial cell factories for the bio-based production of selected chemicals. As production organism we focus on E. coli, but are also interested in applications with other relevant production hosts such as Zymomonas mobilis or yeast. Research topics include:

• Model-based metabolic engineering of E. coli for itaconic acid synthesis.
• Model-based metabolic engineering of E. coli for synthesis of succinate.
• Optimization of an E. coli strain for 2,3-butanediol synthesis.
• Model-based metabolic engineering of E. coli for synthesis of octyl acetate.
• Increasing the productivity of yeast (S. cerevisiae).
• Metabolic modeling of microbial communities involved in anaerobic digestion.
• Use of Zymomonas mobilis for synthesizing acetaldehyde and other products.
• Metabolic engineering strategies for cyanobacteria.
• New design principles for metabolic engineering (see StrainBooster project).
• Design of cell factories for two-stage processes based on dynamic metabolic control.