Metabolic modelling and flux analysis of microorganisms from the Atacama Desert used in biotechnological processes

Productivity enhancement in L-lysine fermentation using oxygen-enhanced bioreactor and oxygen vector

Introduction: L-lysine is a bulk product. In industrial production using high-biomass fermentation, the high density of bacteria and the intensity of production require sufficient cellular respiratory metabolism for support. Conventional bioreactors often have difficulty meeting the oxygen supply conditions for this fermentation process, which is not conducive to improving the sugar-amino acid conversion rate. In this study, we designed and developed an oxygen-enhanced bioreactor to address this problem. Methods: This bioreactor optimizes the aeration mix using an internal liquid flow guide and multiple propellers. Results: Compared with a conventional bioreactor, it improved the k_La from 367.57 to 875.64 h^-1, an increase of 238.22%. The results show that the oxygen supply capacity of the oxygen-enhanced bioreactor is better than that of the conventional bioreactor. Its oxygenating effect increased the dissolved oxygen in the middle and late stages of fermentation by an average of 20%. The increased viability of Corynebacterium glutamicum LS260 in the mid to late stages of growth resulted in a yield of 185.3 g/L of L-lysine, 74.57% conversion of lysine from glucose, and productivity of 2.57 g/L/h, an increase of 11.0%, 6.01%, and 8.2%, respectively, over a conventional bioreactor. Oxygen vectors can further improve the production performance of lysine strains by increasing the oxygen uptake capacity of microorganisms. We compared the effects of different oxygen vectors on the production of L-lysine from LS260 fermentation and concluded that n-dodecane was the most suitable. Bacterial growth was smoother under these conditions, with a 2.78% increase in bacterial volume, a 6.53% increase in lysine production, and a 5.83% increase in conversion. The different addition times of the oxygen vectors also affected the final yield and conversion, with the addition of oxygen vectors at 0 h, 8 h, 16 h, and 24 h of fermentation increasing the yield by 6.31%, 12.44%, 9.93%, and 7.39%, respectively, compared to fermentation without the addition of oxygen vectors. The conversion rates increased by 5.83%, 8.73%, 7.13%, and 6.13%, respectively. The best results were achieved by adding oxygen vehicles at the 8th hour of fermentation, with a lysine yield of 208.36 g/L and a conversion rate of 83.3%. In addition, n-dodecane significantly reduced the amount of foam produced during fermentation, which is beneficial for fermentation control and equipment. Conclusion: The new oxygen-enhanced bioreactor improves oxygen transfer efficiency, and oxygen vectors enhance the ability of cells to take up oxygen, which effectively solves the problem of insufficient oxygen supply during lysine fermentation. This study provides a new bioreactor and production solution for lysine fermentation.

Microbial exopolysaccharides-β-glucans-as promising postbiotic candidates in vaccine adjuvants

The urgent task of creating new, enhanced adjuvants is closely related to our comprehension of their mechanisms of action. A few adjuvants have shown sufficient efficacy and low toxicity to be allowed for use in human vaccines, despite the fact that they have a long history and an important function. Adjuvants have long been used without a clear understanding of how precisely they augment the immune response. The rational production of stronger and safer adjuvants has been impeded by this lack of information, which necessitates more mechanistic research to support the development of vaccines. Carbohydrate structures-polygalactans, fructans, β-D-glucans, α-D-glucans, D-galactose, and D-glucose-are desirable candidates for the creation of vaccine adjuvants and immunomodulators because they serve important functions in nature and are often biocompatible, safe, and well tolerated. In this review, we have discussed recent advances in microbial-derived carbohydrate-based adjuvants, their immunostimulatory activity, and the implications of this for vaccine development, along with the critical view on the microbial sources, chemical composition, and biosynthetic pathways.

Enhanced production of microalgal biomass and lipid as an environmentally friendly biodiesel feedstock through actinomycete co-culture in biogas digestate effluent

In this study, an innovative approach to enhance the production of microalgal biomass and lipid as a promising sustainable feedstock for biodiesel was proposed using an actinomycetes co-culture with microalgae in the biogas digestate effluent (BDE) that can be employed as an environmentally friendly and cost-effective strategy. Among tested actinomycete isolates, Piscicocus intestinalis WA3 produced indole-3-acetic acid and siderophores as algal growth promoting agents and showed effective lipid accumulation with satisfying fatty acids composition. During co-cultivation of P. intestinalis WA3 with microalga Tetradesmus obliquus AARL G022 in the BDE, biomass production, chlorophyll a content, and lipid productivity were significantly increased by 1.30 folds, 1.39 folds, and 1.55 folds, respectively, compared to microalgae monoculture. The accumulated lipids contained long-chain fatty acids with better fuel properties that could potentially be used as biodiesel feedstock. The overall results evidenced that actinomycete co-culture would contribute greatly to the cost-effective production of environmental-friendly microbial-based biofuel.

Genome-scale metabolic models of Microbacterium species isolated from a high altitude desert environment

The Atacama Desert is the most arid desert on Earth, focus of important research activities related to microbial biodiversity studies. In this context, metabolic characterization of arid soil bacteria is crucial to understand their survival strategies under extreme environmental stress. We investigated whether strain-specific features of two Microbacterium species were involved in the metabolic ability to tolerate/adapt to local variations within an extreme desert environment. Using an integrative systems biology approach we have carried out construction and comparison of genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs) of two Microbacterium sp., CGR1 and CGR2, previously isolated from physicochemically contrasting soil sites in the Atacama Desert. Despite CGR1 and CGR2 belong to different phylogenetic clades, metabolic pathways and attributes are highly conserved in both strains. However, comparison of the GEMs showed significant differences in the connectivity of specific metabolites related to pH tolerance and CO₂ production. The latter is most likely required to handle acidic stress through decarboxylation reactions. We observed greater GEM connectivity within Microbacterium sp. CGR1 compared to CGR2, which is correlated with the capacity of CGR1 to tolerate a wider pH tolerance range. Both metabolic models predict the synthesis of pigment metabolites (β-carotene), observation validated by HPLC experiments. Our study provides a valuable resource to further investigate global metabolic adaptations of bacterial species to grow in soils with different abiotic factors within an extreme environment.