1
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Hubáček M, Wey LT, Kourist R, Malihan-Yap L, Nikkanen L, Allahverdiyeva Y. Strong heterologous electron sink outcompetes alternative electron transport pathways in photosynthesis. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 119:2500-2513. [PMID: 39008444 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
Improvement of photosynthesis requires a thorough understanding of electron partitioning under both natural and strong electron sink conditions. We applied a wide array of state-of-the-art biophysical and biochemical techniques to thoroughly investigate the fate of photosynthetic electrons in the engineered cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, a blueprint for photosynthetic biotechnology, expressing the heterologous gene for ene-reductase, YqjM. This recombinant enzyme catalyses the reduction of an exogenously added substrate into the desired product by utilising photosynthetically produced NAD(P)H, enabling whole-cell biotransformation. Through coupling the biotransformation reaction with biophysical measurements, we demonstrated that the strong artificial electron sink, outcompetes the natural electron valves, the flavodiiron protein-driven Mehler-like reaction and cyclic electron transport. These results show that ferredoxin-NAD(P)H-oxidoreductase is the preferred route for delivering photosynthetic electrons from reduced ferredoxin and the cellular NADPH/NADP+ ratio as a key factor in orchestrating photosynthetic electron flux. These insights are crucial for understanding molecular mechanisms of photosynthetic electron transport and harnessing photosynthesis for sustainable bioproduction by engineering the cellular source/sink balance. Furthermore, we conclude that identifying the bioenergetic bottleneck of a heterologous electron sink is a crucial prerequisite for targeted engineering of photosynthetic biotransformation platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Hubáček
- Molecular Plant Biology, Department of Life Technologies, University of Turku, Turku, 20014, Finland
| | - Laura T Wey
- Molecular Plant Biology, Department of Life Technologies, University of Turku, Turku, 20014, Finland
| | - Robert Kourist
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, NAWI Graz, BioTechMed, Graz University of Technology, Graz, 8010, Austria
| | - Lenny Malihan-Yap
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, NAWI Graz, BioTechMed, Graz University of Technology, Graz, 8010, Austria
| | - Lauri Nikkanen
- Molecular Plant Biology, Department of Life Technologies, University of Turku, Turku, 20014, Finland
| | - Yagut Allahverdiyeva
- Molecular Plant Biology, Department of Life Technologies, University of Turku, Turku, 20014, Finland
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2
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Jodlbauer J, Schmal M, Waltl C, Rohr T, Mach-Aigner AR, Mihovilovic MD, Rudroff F. Unlocking the potential of cyanobacteria: a high-throughput strategy for enhancing biocatalytic performance through genetic optimization. Trends Biotechnol 2024:S0167-7799(24)00189-6. [PMID: 39214789 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2024] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria show promise as hosts for whole-cell biocatalysis. Their photoautotrophic metabolism can be leveraged for a sustainable production process. Despite advancements, performance still lags behind heterotrophic hosts. A key challenge is the limited ability to overexpress recombinant enzymes, which also hinders their biocatalytic efficiency. To address this, we generated large-scale expression libraries and developed a high-throughput method combining fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and deep sequencing in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 (Syn. 6803) to screen and optimize its genetic background. We apply this approach to enhance expression and biocatalyst performance for three enzymes: the ketoreductase LfSDR1M50, enoate reductase YqjM, and Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase (BVMO) CHMOmut. Diverse genetic combinations yielded significant improvements: optimizing LfSDR1M50 expression showed a 17-fold increase to 39.2 U gcell dry weight (CDW)-1. In vivo activity of Syn. YqjM was improved 16-fold to 58.7 U gCDW-1 and, for Syn. CHMOmut, a 1.5-fold increase to 7.3 U gCDW-1 was achieved by tailored genetic design. Thus, this strategy offers a pathway to optimize cyanobacteria as expression hosts, paving the way for broader applications in other cyanobacteria strains and larger libraries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Jodlbauer
- Institute of Applied Synthetic Chemistry, TU Wien, Getreidemarkt 9, 1060, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthias Schmal
- Institute of Chemical, Environmental, and Bioscience Engineering, TU Wien, Gumpendorfer Str. 1a, 1060, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Waltl
- Institute of Applied Synthetic Chemistry, TU Wien, Getreidemarkt 9, 1060, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Rohr
- Institute of Applied Synthetic Chemistry, TU Wien, Getreidemarkt 9, 1060, Vienna, Austria
| | - Astrid R Mach-Aigner
- Institute of Chemical, Environmental, and Bioscience Engineering, TU Wien, Gumpendorfer Str. 1a, 1060, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marko D Mihovilovic
- Institute of Applied Synthetic Chemistry, TU Wien, Getreidemarkt 9, 1060, Vienna, Austria
| | - Florian Rudroff
- Institute of Applied Synthetic Chemistry, TU Wien, Getreidemarkt 9, 1060, Vienna, Austria.
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3
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Sovic L, Malihan-Yap L, Tóth GS, Siitonen V, Alphand V, Allahverdiyeva Y, Kourist R. Sucrose as an electron source for cofactor regeneration in recombinant Escherichia coli expressing invertase and a Baeyer Villiger monooxygenase. Microb Cell Fact 2024; 23:227. [PMID: 39135032 PMCID: PMC11318132 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-024-02474-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The large-scale biocatalytic application of oxidoreductases requires systems for a cost-effective and efficient regeneration of redox cofactors. These represent the major bottleneck for industrial bioproduction and an important cost factor. In this work, co-expression of the genes of invertase and a Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase from Burkholderia xenovorans to E. coli W ΔcscR and E. coli BL21 (DE3) enabled efficient biotransformation of cyclohexanone to the polymer precursor, ε-caprolactone using sucrose as electron source for regeneration of redox cofactors, at rates comparable to glucose. E. coli W ΔcscR has a native csc regulon enabling sucrose utilization and is deregulated via deletion of the repressor gene (cscR), thus enabling sucrose uptake even at concentrations below 6 mM (2 g L-1). On the other hand, E. coli BL21 (DE3), which is widely used as an expression host does not contain a csc regulon. RESULTS Herein, we show a proof of concept where the co-expression of invertase for both E. coli hosts was sufficient for efficient sucrose utilization to sustain cofactor regeneration in the Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of cyclohexanone. Using E. coli W ΔcscR, a specific activity of 37 U gDCW-1 was obtained, demonstrating the suitability of the strain for recombinant gene co-expression and subsequent whole-cell biotransformation. In addition, the same co-expression cassette was transferred and investigated with E. coli BL21 (DE3), which showed a specific activity of 17 U gDCW- 1. Finally, biotransformation using photosynthetically-derived sucrose from Synechocystis S02 with E. coli W ΔcscR expressing BVMO showed complete conversion of cyclohexanone after 3 h, especially with the strain expressing the invertase gene in the periplasm. CONCLUSIONS Results show that sucrose can be an alternative electron source to drive whole-cell biotransformations in recombinant E. coli strains opening novel strategies for sustainable chemical production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucija Sovic
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, NAWI Graz, Petersgasse 14, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Lenny Malihan-Yap
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, NAWI Graz, Petersgasse 14, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Gábor Szilveszter Tóth
- Molecular Plant Biology, Department of Life Technologies, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland
| | - Vilja Siitonen
- Molecular Plant Biology, Department of Life Technologies, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland
| | - Véronique Alphand
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Centrale Marseille, iSm2, Marseille, France
| | - Yagut Allahverdiyeva
- Molecular Plant Biology, Department of Life Technologies, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland
| | - Robert Kourist
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, NAWI Graz, Petersgasse 14, 8010, Graz, Austria.
- ACIB GmbH, 8010, Graz, Austria.
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4
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Tüllinghoff A, Toepel J, Bühler B. Enlighting Electron Routes In Oxyfunctionalizing Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Chembiochem 2024; 25:e202300475. [PMID: 37994522 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Phototrophic microorganisms, like cyanobacteria, are gaining attention as host organisms for biocatalytic processes with light as energy source and water as electron source. Redox enzymes, especially oxygenases, can profit from in-situ supply of co-substrates, i. e., reduction equivalents and O2 , by the photosynthetic light reaction. The electron transfer downstream of PS I to heterologous electron consuming enzymes in principle can involve NADPH, NADH, and/or ferredoxin, whereas most direct and efficient transfer is desirable. Here, we use the model organism Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 to investigate, to what extent host and/or heterologous constituents are involved in electron transfer to a heterologous cytochrome P450 monooxygenase from Acidovorax sp. CHX100. Interestingly, in this highly active light-fueled cycloalkane hydroxylating biocatalyst, host-intrinsic enzymes were found capable of completely substituting the function of the Acidovorax ferredoxin reductase. To a certain extent (20 %), this also was true for the Acidovorax ferredoxin. These results indicate the presence of a versatile set of electron carriers in cyanobacteria, enabling efficient and direct coupling of electron consuming reactions to photosynthetic water oxidation. This will both simplify and promote the use of phototrophic microorganisms for sustainable production processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Tüllinghoff
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstr. 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jörg Toepel
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstr. 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Bruno Bühler
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstr. 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
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5
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Cheng J, Zhang C, Zhang K, Li J, Hou Y, Xin J, Sun Y, Xu C, Xu W. Cyanobacteria-Mediated Light-Driven Biotransformation: The Current Status and Perspectives. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:42062-42071. [PMID: 38024730 PMCID: PMC10653055 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c05407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Most chemicals are manufactured by traditional chemical processes but at the expense of toxic catalyst use, high energy consumption, and waste generation. Biotransformation is a green, sustainable, and cost-effective process. As cyanobacteria can use light as the energy source to power the synthesis of NADPH and ATP, using cyanobacteria as the chassis organisms to design and develop light-driven biotransformation platforms for chemical synthesis has been gaining attention, since it can provide a theoretical and practical basis for the sustainable and green production of chemicals. Meanwhile, metabolic engineering and genome editing techniques have tremendous prospects for further engineering and optimizing chassis cells to achieve efficient light-driven systems for synthesizing various chemicals. Here, we display the potential of cyanobacteria as a promising light-driven biotransformation platform for the efficient synthesis of green chemicals and current achievements of light-driven biotransformation processes in wild-type or genetically modified cyanobacteria. Meanwhile, future perspectives of one-pot enzymatic cascade biotransformation from biobased materials in cyanobacteria have been proposed, which could provide additional research insights for green biotransformation and accelerate the advancement of biomanufacturing industries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Cheng
- School
of Life Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, China
| | - Chaobo Zhang
- School
of Life Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, China
| | - Kaidian Zhang
- State
Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in the South China Sea,
School of Marine Biology and Aquaculture, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan 570100, China
- Xiamen
Key Laboratory of Urban Sea Ecological Conservation and Restoration,
State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean
and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Jiashun Li
- Xiamen
Key Laboratory of Urban Sea Ecological Conservation and Restoration,
State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean
and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Yuyong Hou
- Key
Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotech-nology, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Jiachao Xin
- School
of Life Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, China
| | - Yang Sun
- School
of Life Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, China
| | - Chengshuai Xu
- School
of Life Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, China
| | - Wei Xu
- School
of Life Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, China
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6
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Zhang Y, Meng W, He Y, Chen Y, Shao M, Yuan J. Multidimensional optimization for accelerating light-powered biocatalysis in Rhodopseudomonas palustris. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS 2023; 16:160. [PMID: 37891652 PMCID: PMC10612212 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-023-02410-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Whole-cell biocatalysis has been exploited to convert a variety of substrates into high-value bulk or chiral fine chemicals. However, the traditional whole-cell biocatalysis typically utilizes the heterotrophic microbes as the biocatalyst, which requires carbohydrates to power the cofactor (ATP, NAD (P)H) regeneration. RESULTS In this study, we sought to harness purple non-sulfur photosynthetic bacterium (PNSB) as the biocatalyst to achieve light-driven cofactor regeneration for cascade biocatalysis. We substantially improved the performance of Rhodopseudomonas palustris-based biocatalysis using a highly active and conditional expression system, blocking the side-reactions, controlling the feeding strategy, and attenuating the light shading effect. Under light-anaerobic conditions, we found that 50 mM ferulic acid could be completely converted to vanillyl alcohol using the recombinant strain with 100% efficiency, and > 99.9% conversion of 50 mM p-coumaric acid to p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol was similarly achieved. Moreover, we examined the isoprenol utilization pathway for pinene synthesis and 92% conversion of 30 mM isoprenol to pinene was obtained. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these results suggested that R. palustris could be a promising host for light-powered biotransformation, which offers an efficient approach for synthesizing value-added chemicals in a green and sustainable manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Fujian, 361102, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Xiamen University, Shenzhen, 518057, China
| | - Wenchang Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Yuting He
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Yuhui Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Mingyu Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Jifeng Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Fujian, 361102, China.
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Xiamen University, Shenzhen, 518057, China.
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7
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Tüllinghoff A, Djaya‐Mbissam H, Toepel J, Bühler B. Light-driven redox biocatalysis on gram-scale in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 via an in vivo cascade. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2023; 21:2074-2083. [PMID: 37439151 PMCID: PMC10502755 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
The photosynthetic light reaction in cyanobacteria constitutes a highly attractive tool for productive biocatalysis, as it can provide redox reactions with high-energy reduction equivalents using sunlight and water as sources of energy and electrons, respectively. Here, we describe the first artificial light-driven redox cascade in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 to convert cyclohexanone to the polymer building block 6-hydroxyhexanoic acid (6-HA). Co-expression of a Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase (BVMO) and a lactonase, both from Acidovorax sp. CHX100, enabled this two-step conversion with an activity of up to 63.1 ± 1.0 U/gCDW without accumulating inhibitory ε-caprolactone. Thereby, one of the key limitations of biocatalytic reactions, that is, reactant inhibition or toxicity, was overcome. In 2 L stirred-tank-photobioreactors, the process could be stabilized for 48 h, forming 23.50 ± 0.84 mm (3.11 ± 0.12 g/L) 6-HA. The high specificity enabling a product yield (YP/S ) of 0.96 ± 0.01 mol/mol and the remarkable biocatalyst-related yield of 3.71 ± 0.21 g6-HA /gCDW illustrate the potential of producing this non-toxic product in a synthetic cascade. The fine-tuning of the energy burden on the catalyst was found to be crucial, which indicates a limitation by the metabolic capacity of the cells possibly being compromised by biocatalysis-related reductant withdrawal. Intriguingly, energy balancing revealed that the biotransformation could tap surplus electrons derived from the photosynthetic light reaction and thereby relieve photosynthetic sink limitation. This study shows the feasibility of light-driven biocatalytic cascade operation in cyanobacteria and highlights respective metabolic limitations and engineering targets to unleash the full potential of photosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Tüllinghoff
- Helmholtz‐Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, PermoserstrLeipzigGermany
| | | | - Jörg Toepel
- Helmholtz‐Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, PermoserstrLeipzigGermany
| | - Bruno Bühler
- Helmholtz‐Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, PermoserstrLeipzigGermany
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8
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Agustinus B, Gillam EMJ. Solar-powered P450 catalysis: Engineering electron transfer pathways from photosynthesis to P450s. J Inorg Biochem 2023; 245:112242. [PMID: 37187017 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2023.112242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
With the increasing focus on green chemistry, biocatalysis is becoming more widely used in the pharmaceutical and other chemical industries for sustainable production of high value and structurally complex chemicals. Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) are attractive biocatalysts for industrial application due to their ability to transform a huge range of substrates in a stereo- and regiospecific manner. However, despite their appeal, the industrial application of P450s is limited by their dependence on costly reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) and one or more auxiliary redox partner proteins. Coupling P450s to the photosynthetic machinery of a plant allows photosynthetically-generated electrons to be used to drive catalysis, overcoming this cofactor dependency. Thus, photosynthetic organisms could serve as photobioreactors with the capability to produce value-added chemicals using only light, water, CO2 and an appropriate chemical as substrate for the reaction/s of choice, yielding new opportunities for producing commodity and high-value chemicals in a carbon-negative and sustainable manner. This review will discuss recent progress in using photosynthesis for light-driven P450 biocatalysis and explore the potential for further development of such systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernadius Agustinus
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Elizabeth M J Gillam
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane 4072, Australia.
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9
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Barone GD, Hubáček M, Malihan-Yap L, Grimm HC, Nikkanen L, Pacheco CC, Tamagnini P, Allahverdiyeva Y, Kourist R. Towards the rate limit of heterologous biotechnological reactions in recombinant cyanobacteria. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS 2023; 16:4. [PMID: 36609316 PMCID: PMC9825001 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-022-02237-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cyanobacteria have emerged as highly efficient organisms for the production of chemicals and biofuels. Yet, the productivity of the cell has been low for commercial application. Cyanobacterial photobiotransformations utilize photosynthetic electrons to form reducing equivalents, such as NADPH-to-fuel biocatalytic reactions. These photobiotransformations are a measure to which extent photosynthetic electrons can be deviated toward heterologous biotechnological processes, such as the production of biofuels. By expressing oxidoreductases, such as YqjM from Bacillus subtilis in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, a high specific activity was obtained in the reduction of maleimides. Here, we investigated the possibility to accelerate the NAD(P)H-consuming redox reactions by addition of carbohydrates as exogenous carbon sources such as D-Glucose under light and darkness. RESULTS A 1.7-fold increase of activity (150 µmol min-1 gDCW-1) was observed upon addition of D-Glucose at an OD750 = 2.5 (DCW = 0.6 g L-1) in the biotransformation of 2-methylmaleimide. The stimulating effect of D-Glucose was also observed at higher cell densities in light and dark conditions as well as in the reduction of other substrates. No increase in both effective photosynthetic yields of Photosystem II and Photosystem I was found upon D-Glucose addition. However, we observed higher NAD(P)H fluorescence when D-Glucose was supplemented, suggesting increased glycolytic activity. Moreover, the system was scaled-up (working volume of 200 mL) in an internally illuminated Bubble Column Reactor exhibiting a 2.4-fold increase of specific activity under light-limited conditions. CONCLUSIONS Results show that under photoautotrophic conditions at a specific activity of 90 µmol min-1 gDCW-1, the ene-reductase YqjM in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 is not NAD(P)H saturated, which is an indicator that an increase of the rates of heterologous electron consuming processes for catalysis and biofuel production will require funnelling further reducing power from the photosynthetic chain toward heterologous processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Davide Barone
- grid.410413.30000 0001 2294 748XBiocatalysis and Protein Engineering, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, 8010 Graz, Austria ,grid.5808.50000 0001 1503 7226i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal ,grid.5808.50000 0001 1503 7226Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Michal Hubáček
- grid.1374.10000 0001 2097 1371Laboratory of Molecular Plant Biology, Department of Life Technologies, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland
| | - Lenny Malihan-Yap
- grid.410413.30000 0001 2294 748XBiocatalysis and Protein Engineering, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Hanna C. Grimm
- grid.410413.30000 0001 2294 748XBiocatalysis and Protein Engineering, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Lauri Nikkanen
- grid.1374.10000 0001 2097 1371Laboratory of Molecular Plant Biology, Department of Life Technologies, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland
| | - Catarina C. Pacheco
- grid.5808.50000 0001 1503 7226i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Paula Tamagnini
- grid.5808.50000 0001 1503 7226i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal ,grid.5808.50000 0001 1503 7226Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Yagut Allahverdiyeva
- grid.1374.10000 0001 2097 1371Laboratory of Molecular Plant Biology, Department of Life Technologies, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland
| | - Robert Kourist
- grid.410413.30000 0001 2294 748XBiocatalysis and Protein Engineering, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, 8010 Graz, Austria
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10
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Tóth GS, Siitonen V, Nikkanen L, Sovic L, Kallio P, Kourist R, Kosourov S, Allahverdiyeva Y. Photosynthetically produced sucrose by immobilized Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 drives biotransformation in E. coli. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS 2022; 15:146. [PMID: 36575466 PMCID: PMC9795604 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-022-02248-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Whole-cell biotransformation is a promising emerging technology for the production of chemicals. When using heterotrophic organisms such as E. coli and yeast as biocatalysts, the dependence on organic carbon source impairs the sustainability and economic viability of the process. As a promising alternative, photosynthetic cyanobacteria with low nutrient requirements and versatile metabolism, could offer a sustainable platform for the heterologous production of organic compounds directly from sunlight and CO2. This strategy has been applied for the photoautotrophic production of sucrose by a genetically engineered cyanobacterium, Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 strain S02. As the key concept in the current work, this can be further used to generate organic carbon compounds for different heterotrophic applications, including for the whole-cell biotransformation by yeast and bacteria. RESULTS Entrapment of Synechocystis S02 cells in Ca2+-cross-linked alginate hydrogel beads improves the specific sucrose productivity by 86% compared to suspension cultures during 7 days of cultivation under salt stress. The process was further prolonged by periodically changing the medium in the vials for up to 17 days of efficient production, giving the final sucrose yield slightly above 3000 mg l-1. We successfully demonstrated that the medium enriched with photosynthetically produced sucrose by immobilized Synechocystis S02 cells supports the biotransformation of cyclohexanone to ε-caprolactone by the E. coli WΔcscR Inv:Parvi strain engineered to (i) utilize low concentrations of sucrose and (ii) perform biotransformation of cyclohexanone to ε-caprolactone. CONCLUSION We conclude that cell entrapment in Ca2+-alginate beads is an effective method to prolong sucrose production by the engineered cyanobacteria, while allowing efficient separation of the cells from the medium. This advantage opens up novel possibilities to create advanced autotroph-heterotroph coupled cultivation systems for solar-driven production of chemicals via biotransformation, as demonstrated in this work by utilizing the photosynthetically produced sucrose to drive the conversion of cyclohexanone to ε-caprolactone by engineered E. coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gábor Szilveszter Tóth
- grid.1374.10000 0001 2097 1371Molecular Plant Biology, Department of Life Technologies, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland
| | - Vilja Siitonen
- grid.1374.10000 0001 2097 1371Molecular Plant Biology, Department of Life Technologies, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland
| | - Lauri Nikkanen
- grid.1374.10000 0001 2097 1371Molecular Plant Biology, Department of Life Technologies, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland
| | - Lucija Sovic
- grid.410413.30000 0001 2294 748XCell and Protein Engineering, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Pauli Kallio
- grid.1374.10000 0001 2097 1371Molecular Plant Biology, Department of Life Technologies, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland
| | - Robert Kourist
- grid.410413.30000 0001 2294 748XCell and Protein Engineering, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Sergey Kosourov
- grid.1374.10000 0001 2097 1371Molecular Plant Biology, Department of Life Technologies, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland
| | - Yagut Allahverdiyeva
- grid.1374.10000 0001 2097 1371Molecular Plant Biology, Department of Life Technologies, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland
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11
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Spasic J, Oliveira P, Pacheco C, Kourist R, Tamagnini P. Engineering cyanobacterial chassis for improved electron supply toward a heterologous ene-reductase. J Biotechnol 2022; 360:152-159. [PMID: 36370921 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2022.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are noteworthy hosts for industrially relevant redox reactions, owing to a light-driven cofactor recycling system using water as electron donor. Customizing Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 chassis by redirecting electron flow offers a particularly interesting approach to further improve light-driven biotransformations. Therefore, different chassis expressing the heterologous ene-reductase YqjM (namely ΔhoxYH, Δflv3, ΔndhD2 and ΔhoxYHΔflv3) were generated/evaluated. The results showed the robustness of the chassis, that exhibited growth and oxygen evolution rates similar to Synechocystis wild-type, even when expressing YqjM. By engineering the electron flow, the YqjM light-driven stereoselective reduction of 2-methylmaleimide to 2-methylsuccinimide was significantly enhanced in all chassis. In the best performing chassis (ΔhoxYH, lacking an active bidirectional hydrogenase) a 39 % increase was observed, reaching an in vivo specific activity of 116 U gDCW-1 and an initial reaction rate of 16.7 mM h-1. In addition, the presence of the heterologous YqjM mitigated substrate toxicity, and the conversion of 2-methylmaleimide increased oxygen evolution rates, in particular at higher light intensity. In conclusion, this work demonstrates that rational engineering of electron transfer pathways is a valid strategy to increase in vivo specific activities and initial reaction rates in cyanobacterial chassis harboring oxidoreductases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelena Spasic
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal; Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 14, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Paulo Oliveira
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Catarina Pacheco
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Robert Kourist
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 14, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Paula Tamagnini
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
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12
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Collaborative catalysis for solar biosynthesis. TRENDS IN CHEMISTRY 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trechm.2022.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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13
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Valotta A, Malihan-Yap L, Hinteregger K, Kourist R, Gruber-Woelfler H. Design and Investigation of a Photocatalytic Setup for Efficient Biotransformations Within Recombinant Cyanobacteria in Continuous Flow. CHEMSUSCHEM 2022; 15:e202201468. [PMID: 36069133 PMCID: PMC9828554 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202201468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Photo- and biocatalysis show many advantages as more sustainable solutions for the production of fine chemicals. In an effort to combine the benefits and the knowledge of both these areas, a continuous photobiocatalytic setup was designed and optimized to carry out whole-cell biotransformations within cells of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 expressing the gene of the ene-reductase YqjM from B. subtilis. The effect of the light intensity and flow rate on the specific activity in the stereoselective reduction of 2-methyl maleimide was investigated via a design-of-experiments approach. The cell density in the setup was further increased at the optimal operating conditions without loss in specific activity, demonstrating that the higher surface area/volume ratio in the coil reactor improved the illumination efficiency of the process. Furthermore, different reactor designs were compared, proving that the presented approach was the most cost- and time-effective solution for intensifying photobiotransformations within cyanobacterial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Valotta
- Institute of Process and Particle Engineering, Graz University of Technology, Inffeldgasse 13, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Lenny Malihan-Yap
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 14, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Kerstin Hinteregger
- Institute of Process and Particle Engineering, Graz University of Technology, Inffeldgasse 13, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Robert Kourist
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 14, 8010, Graz, Austria
- ACIB GmbH, Krenngasse 37, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Heidrun Gruber-Woelfler
- Institute of Process and Particle Engineering, Graz University of Technology, Inffeldgasse 13, 8010, Graz, Austria
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14
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Jurkaš V, Weissensteiner F, De Santis P, Vrabl S, Sorgenfrei FA, Bierbaumer S, Kara S, Kourist R, Wangikar PP, Winkler CK, Kroutil W. Transmembrane Shuttling of Photosynthetically Produced Electrons to Propel Extracellular Biocatalytic Redox Reactions in a Modular Fashion. ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 134:e202207971. [PMID: 38505002 PMCID: PMC10946770 DOI: 10.1002/ange.202207971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Many biocatalytic redox reactions depend on the cofactor NAD(P)H, which may be provided by dedicated recycling systems. Exploiting light and water for NADPH-regeneration as it is performed, e.g. by cyanobacteria, is conceptually very appealing due to its high atom economy. However, the current use of cyanobacteria is limited, e.g. by challenging and time-consuming heterologous enzyme expression in cyanobacteria as well as limitations of substrate or product transport through the cell wall. Here we establish a transmembrane electron shuttling system propelled by the cyanobacterial photosynthesis to drive extracellular NAD(P)H-dependent redox reactions. The modular photo-electron shuttling (MPS) overcomes the need for cloning and problems associated with enzyme- or substrate-toxicity and substrate uptake. The MPS was demonstrated on four classes of enzymes with 19 enzymes and various types of substrates, reaching conversions of up to 99 % and giving products with >99 % optical purity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Jurkaš
- Institute of ChemistryUniversity of GrazHeinrichstraße 288010GrazAustria
| | | | - Piera De Santis
- Institute of ChemistryUniversity of GrazHeinrichstraße 288010GrazAustria
- Department of Engineering, Biological and Chemical Engineering SectionBiocatalysis and Bioprocessing GroupAarhus UniversityGustav Wieds Vej 108000AarhusDenmark
| | - Stephan Vrabl
- Institute of ChemistryUniversity of GrazHeinrichstraße 288010GrazAustria
| | - Frieda A. Sorgenfrei
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, c/oInstitute of Chemistry, University of GrazHeinrichstraße 288010GrazAustria
| | - Sarah Bierbaumer
- Institute of ChemistryUniversity of GrazHeinrichstraße 288010GrazAustria
| | - Selin Kara
- Department of Engineering, Biological and Chemical Engineering SectionBiocatalysis and Bioprocessing GroupAarhus UniversityGustav Wieds Vej 108000AarhusDenmark
| | - Robert Kourist
- Institute of Molecular BiotechnologyGraz University of TechnologyPetersgasse 148010GrazAustria
| | - Pramod P. Wangikar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076 IndiaDBT-Pan IIT Centre for Bioenergy, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076 IndiaWadhwani Research Centre for BioengineeringIndian Institute of Technology BombayPowaiMumbai 400076India
| | | | - Wolfgang Kroutil
- Institute of ChemistryUniversity of GrazHeinrichstraße 288010GrazAustria
- Field of Excellence BioHealth—University of Graz8010GrazAustria
- BioTechMed Graz8010GrazAustria
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15
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Jurkaš V, Weissensteiner F, De Santis P, Vrabl S, Sorgenfrei FA, Bierbaumer S, Kara S, Kourist R, Wangikar PP, Winkler CK, Kroutil W. Transmembrane Shuttling of Photosynthetically Produced Electrons to Propel Extracellular Biocatalytic Redox Reactions in a Modular Fashion. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202207971. [PMID: 35921249 PMCID: PMC9804152 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202207971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Many biocatalytic redox reactions depend on the cofactor NAD(P)H, which may be provided by dedicated recycling systems. Exploiting light and water for NADPH-regeneration as it is performed, e.g. by cyanobacteria, is conceptually very appealing due to its high atom economy. However, the current use of cyanobacteria is limited, e.g. by challenging and time-consuming heterologous enzyme expression in cyanobacteria as well as limitations of substrate or product transport through the cell wall. Here we establish a transmembrane electron shuttling system propelled by the cyanobacterial photosynthesis to drive extracellular NAD(P)H-dependent redox reactions. The modular photo-electron shuttling (MPS) overcomes the need for cloning and problems associated with enzyme- or substrate-toxicity and substrate uptake. The MPS was demonstrated on four classes of enzymes with 19 enzymes and various types of substrates, reaching conversions of up to 99 % and giving products with >99 % optical purity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Jurkaš
- Institute of ChemistryUniversity of GrazHeinrichstraße 288010GrazAustria
| | | | - Piera De Santis
- Institute of ChemistryUniversity of GrazHeinrichstraße 288010GrazAustria
- Department of Engineering, Biological and Chemical Engineering SectionBiocatalysis and Bioprocessing GroupAarhus UniversityGustav Wieds Vej 108000AarhusDenmark
| | - Stephan Vrabl
- Institute of ChemistryUniversity of GrazHeinrichstraße 288010GrazAustria
| | - Frieda A. Sorgenfrei
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, c/oInstitute of Chemistry, University of GrazHeinrichstraße 288010GrazAustria
| | - Sarah Bierbaumer
- Institute of ChemistryUniversity of GrazHeinrichstraße 288010GrazAustria
| | - Selin Kara
- Department of Engineering, Biological and Chemical Engineering SectionBiocatalysis and Bioprocessing GroupAarhus UniversityGustav Wieds Vej 108000AarhusDenmark
| | - Robert Kourist
- Institute of Molecular BiotechnologyGraz University of TechnologyPetersgasse 148010GrazAustria
| | - Pramod P. Wangikar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076 IndiaDBT-Pan IIT Centre for Bioenergy, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076 IndiaWadhwani Research Centre for BioengineeringIndian Institute of Technology BombayPowaiMumbai 400076India
| | | | - Wolfgang Kroutil
- Institute of ChemistryUniversity of GrazHeinrichstraße 288010GrazAustria
- Field of Excellence BioHealth—University of Graz8010GrazAustria
- BioTechMed Graz8010GrazAustria
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16
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Malihan‐Yap L, Grimm HC, Kourist R. Recent Advances in Cyanobacterial Biotransformations. CHEM-ING-TECH 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/cite.202200077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lenny Malihan‐Yap
- Graz University of Technology Institute of Molecular Biotechnology NAWI Graz 8010 Graz Austria
| | - Hanna C. Grimm
- Graz University of Technology Institute of Molecular Biotechnology NAWI Graz 8010 Graz Austria
| | - Robert Kourist
- Graz University of Technology Institute of Molecular Biotechnology NAWI Graz 8010 Graz Austria
- ACIB GmbH 8010 Graz Austria
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