By Dr. Paul Nikel, CNB-CSIC, Madrid
For the fifth “CIQUIBIC Open Doors” Lecture, CIQUIBIC is pleased to welcome Dr. Paul Nikel, researcher at the Systems and Synthetic Biology Program at the National Centre for Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC), Madrid.
The conference will be held on Wednesday August 5, at 11:00 am in the Auditorium of the College of Chemical Sciences (UNC).
From dirt to industrial biotechnology: Taming environmental bacteria through Synthetic Biology
The last few years have witnessed an exponential increase in the number of bacteria that can be used as cell platforms for a number of applications. Alas, the microorganisms which are the easiest to manipulate (i.e., the so-called “model” bacteria, such as Escherichia coli or Bacillus subtilis) are often not adequate to perform given biotechnological applications. Much of the contemporary Synthetic Biology endeavors relies on the adoption of bacterial chasses for plugging-in and -out genetic circuits and engineer new-to-nature functionalities. Attempts to design robust and predictable biological entities (e.g., microbial cell factories) are reminiscent not only of the advances that accompanied the birth of modern engineering, but they also evoke some historical efforts to domesticate animal species for humans’ sake. In this background, environmental bacteria, such as Pseudomonas strains, constitute ideal starting points to design flawless microbial platforms, since these microorganisms are pre-endowed with a large number of metabolic and stress-endurance traits which are optimal for biotechnological needs. The most recent developments on the taming of P. putida for biotechnological applications will be discussed in the context of Synthetic Biology strategies.[/tp]
Design: Jeremías Di Pietro / Graphic design CCT CONICET CORDOBA