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Research

Biological systems - including the simplest cells - exhibit a broad range of functions to thrive in their environment. Research in the Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology is focused on the possibility of engineering the underlying biochemical processes to solve many of the challenges facing society, from healthcare to sustainable energy. In particular, we model, analyse, design and build biological and biochemical systems in living cells and/or in cell extracts, both exploring and enhancing the engineering potential of biology.

As part of our research we develop novel methods to accelerate the celebrated Design-Build-Test-Learn synthetic biology cycle. As such research in the Centre for Synthetic Biology highly multi- and interdisciplinary covering computational modelling and machine learning approaches; automated platform development and genetic circuit engineering ; multi-cellular and multi-organismal interactions, including gene drive and genome engineering; metabolic engineering; in vitro/cell-free synthetic biology; engineered phages and directed evolution; and biomimetics, biomaterials and biological engineering.

Publications

Citation

BibTex format

@article{Yunus:2018:10.1016/j.ymben.2018.08.008,
author = {Yunus, IS and Wichmann, J and Wördenweber, R and Lauersen, KJ and Kruse, O and Jones, PR},
doi = {10.1016/j.ymben.2018.08.008},
journal = {Metabolic Engineering},
pages = {201--211},
title = {Synthetic metabolic pathways for photobiological conversion of CO2 into hydrocarbon fuel},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ymben.2018.08.008},
volume = {49},
year = {2018}
}

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RIS format (EndNote, RefMan)

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Liquid fuels sourced from fossil sources are the dominant energy form for mobile transport today. The consumption of fossil fuels is still increasing, resulting in a continued search for more sustainable methods to renew our supply of liquid fuel. Photosynthetic microorganisms naturally accumulate hydrocarbons that could serve as a replacement for fossil fuel, however productivities remain low. We report successful introduction of five synthetic metabolic pathways in two green cell factories, prokaryotic cyanobacteria and eukaryotic algae. Heterologous thioesterase expression enabled high-yield conversion of native fatty acyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) into free fatty acids (FFA) in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 but not in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii where the polar lipid fraction instead was enhanced. Despite no increase in measurable FFA in Chlamydomonas, genetic recoding and over-production of the native fatty acid photodecarboxylase (FAP) resulted in increased accumulation of 7-heptadecene. Implementation of a carboxylic acid reductase (CAR) and aldehyde deformylating oxygenase (ADO) dependent synthetic pathway in Synechocystis resulted in the accumulation of fatty alcohols and a decrease in the native saturated alkanes. In contrast, the replacement of CAR and ADO with Pseudomonas mendocina UndB (so named as it is responsible for 1-undecene biosynthesis in Pseudomonas) or Chlorella variabilis FAP resulted in high-yield conversion of thioesterase-liberated FFAs into corresponding alkenes and alkanes, respectively. At best, the engineering resulted in an increase in hydrocarbon accumulation of 8- (from 1 to 8.5mg/g cell dry weight) and 19-fold (from 4 to 77mg/g cell dry weight) for Chlamydomonas and Synechocystis, respectively. In conclusion, reconstitution of the eukaryotic algae pathway in the prokaryotic cyanobacteria host generated the most effective system, highlighting opportunities for mix-and-match synthetic metabolism. These studies describe functioning synt
AU  - Yunus,IS
AU  - Wichmann,J
AU  - Wördenweber,R
AU  - Lauersen,KJ
AU  - Kruse,O
AU  - Jones,PR
DO  - 10.1016/j.ymben.2018.08.008
EP  - 211
PY  - 2018///
SN  - 1096-7176
SP  - 201
TI  - Synthetic metabolic pathways for photobiological conversion of CO2 into hydrocarbon fuel
T2  - Metabolic Engineering
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ymben.2018.08.008
UR  - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30144559
UR  - http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/63742
VL  - 49
ER  -