Synthetic Consortium

the idea is simple: we engineer cyanobacteria to produce simple carbon compounds using CO2 and sunlight in ways that are genetically stable. These molecules are shared with a chemotroph like E. coli, which uses them to produce a desired end-product, like commodity chemicals, pharmaceuticals, or biofuels. In our proof-of-principle consortium, E. coli produces isobutanol (an important biofuel) to highlight its sustainable production potential. But our engineered Synechocystis strains are essentially fully modular cyanobacterial production engines, and can be coupled to any biotechnological production process to remove dependencies on crops or petrochemicals and make it truly sustainable.

Synechocystis

We engineered various carbon producing pathways in Synechocystis and showed that the accumulation and sharing of carbon compounds can be used by E.coli to grow and make product. Moreover, we demonstrated the importance of genetic stability through evolutionary growth experiments that showed loss of productivity for strains with novel gene insertions and high fitness cost.

e. coli

We designed and implemented a genetic safety switch based on E. coli sharing essential nutrients with an auxotrophic Synechocystis strain. We also built on [insert team] previous efforts and used their biobrick to engineer and demonstrate constitutive iso-1-butanol production of E. coli in co-culture, showing that our consortium can be effectively used for the sustainable production of biofuels.

Dry Lab

Besides using simulations to guide our consortium design, we created software tools that can be used to design new synthetic consortia: Sustainstability™ allows users to identify carbon compounds that can be engineered in a growth-coupled (stable) way, while Auxotrophy Sniper™ identifies auxotrophies that can be engineered to increase bio-safety. Both of these tools are freely available here.

Consortia

We tested our proof-of-princple consortium using the carbon-sharing Synechocystis and bio-fuel producing E. coli and demonstrated mutual growth and product formation. We also developed a micro-droplet screening tool and demonstrated its effectiveness in identifying stable consortia consisting of carbon-sharing cyanobacteria and various chemotrops with biotechnological relevance.

Application Scenarios

With the help of experts, we wrote several application scenarios in which we conducted detailed investigations into potential real-world applications and their broader implications. These scenarios included companies and business plans that leverage the technology of synthetic consortia to create economic value.

Techno-moral Vignette

Implementing synthetic biology to produce the things we need in a sustainable way sounds great, but comes with a unique set of repercussions. In a fictional newspaper from the future, we explore potential reactions and consequences - both positive and negative - of the large-scale implementation of synthetic consortia in industrial biotech.