Scientists build bioreactors and engineer bacteria to advance biofuel
research

Date:
January 20, 2022
Source:
University of Kent
Summary:
Researchers from the University of Kent's School of Biosciences
have designed and built equipment that can be used to investigate
bacterial biofuel production at a fraction of the cost of commercial
systems. This technology was then used to demonstrate that bacterial
genetic engineering could be used to enhance biofuel production.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Researchers from the University of Kent's School of Biosciences have
designed and built equipment that can be used to investigate bacterial
biofuel production at a fraction of the cost of commercial systems. This technology was then used to demonstrate that bacterial genetic engineering could be used to enhance biofuel production.


========================================================================== Commercial equipment used to study biofuel-producing bacteria can be prohibitively expensive, which prompted the team to build their own
bioreactors that are accessible to most research laboratories. The
researchers then used this equipment to verify that one of their
genetically engineered variants of Clostridium bacteria could produce
the biofuel butanol more rapidly.

These research findings, which have been published in the journalsAccess Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology, reveal that a subtle change
to a single gene can result in remarkable changes to how sugars are
converted to biofuel products.

It is expected that this work will improve accessibility to cheaper
bioreactors to stimulate wider research into biofuel production using
natural and engineered bacteria.

Corresponding author Dr Mark Shepherd, Senior Lecturer in
Microbial Chemistry at Kent, said: 'These exciting developments
will help to advance research into bacterial biofuel production,
and we are particularly enthusiastic to use our expertise to
optimise processes that can convert waste products from food and
agriculture into biofuels that are greener alternatives to fossil fuels.' ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Kent. Original written
by Gary Hughes.

Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Taylor I. Monaghan, Joseph A. Baker, Preben Krabben, E. Timothy
Davies,
Elizabeth R. Jenkinson, Ian B. Goodhead, Gary K. Robinson,
Mark Shepherd.

Deletion of glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (
gapN ) in Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum N1‐4(HMT)
using CLEAVE [TM] increases the ATP pool and accelerates
solvent production. Microbial Biotechnology, 2021; DOI:
10.1111/1751-7915.13990 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/01/220120103358.htm

--- up 6 weeks, 5 days, 7 hours, 13 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)