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Lu Z, Chen Z, Liu Y, Hua X, Gao C, Liu J. Morphological Engineering of Filamentous Fungi: Research Progress and Perspectives. J Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 34:1197-1205. [PMID: 38693049 PMCID: PMC11239417 DOI: 10.4014/jmb.2402.02007] [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: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Filamentous fungi are important cell factories for the production of high-value enzymes and chemicals for the food, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries. Under submerged fermentation, filamentous fungi exhibit diverse fungal morphologies that are influenced by environmental factors, which in turn affect the rheological properties and mass transfer of the fermentation system, and ultimately the synthesis of products. In this review, we first summarize the mechanisms of mycelial morphogenesis and then provide an overview of current developments in methods and strategies for morphological regulation, including physicochemical and metabolic engineering approaches. We also anticipate that rapid developments in synthetic biology and genetic manipulation tools will accelerate morphological engineering in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengwu Lu
- College of Life Sciences, Linyi University, Linyi 276000, P. R. China
| | - Zhiqun Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Linyi University, Linyi 276000, P. R. China
| | - Yunguo Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Linyi University, Linyi 276000, P. R. China
| | - Xuexue Hua
- Shandong Fufeng Fermentation Co., Ltd., Linyi 276600, P. R. China
| | - Cuijuan Gao
- College of Life Sciences, Linyi University, Linyi 276000, P. R. China
| | - Jingjing Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Linyi University, Linyi 276000, P. R. China
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2
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Diankristanti PA, Lin YC, Yi YC, Ng IS. Polyhydroxyalkanoates bioproduction from bench to industry: Thirty years of development towards sustainability. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2024; 393:130149. [PMID: 38049017 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.130149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
The pursuit of carbon neutrality goals has sparked considerable interest in expanding bioplastics production from microbial cell factories. One prominent class of bioplastics, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), is generated by specific microorganisms, serving as carbon and energy storage materials. To begin with, a native PHA producer, Cupriavidus necator (formerly Ralstonia eutropha) is extensively studied, covering essential topics such as carbon source selection, cultivation techniques, and accumulation enhancement strategies. Recently, various hosts including archaea, bacteria, cyanobacteria, yeast, and plants have been explored, stretching the limit of microbial PHA production. This review provides a comprehensive overview of current advancements in PHA bioproduction, spanning from the native to diversified cell factories. Recovery and purification techniques are discussed, and the current status of industrial applications is assessed as a critical milestone for startups. Ultimately, it concludes by addressing contemporary challenges and future prospects, offering insights into the path towards reduced carbon emissions and sustainable development goals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yu-Chieh Lin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Ying-Chen Yi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, USA
| | - I-Son Ng
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
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3
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Müller H, Deffur C, Schmideder S, Barthel L, Friedrich T, Mirlach L, Hammel JU, Meyer V, Briesen H. Synchrotron radiation-based microcomputed tomography for three-dimensional growth analysis of Aspergillus niger pellets. Biotechnol Bioeng 2023; 120:3244-3260. [PMID: 37475650 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Filamentous fungi produce a wide range of relevant biotechnological compounds. The close relationship between fungal morphology and productivity has led to a variety of analytical methods to quantify their macromorphology. Nevertheless, only a µ-computed tomography (µ-CT) based method allows a detailed analysis of the 3D micromorphology of fungal pellets. However, the low sample throughput of a laboratory µ-CT limits the tracking of the micromorphological evolution of a statistically representative number of submerged cultivated fungal pellets over time. To meet this challenge, we applied synchrotron radiation-based X-ray microtomography at the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron [German Electron Synchrotron Research Center], resulting in 19,940 3D analyzed individual fungal pellets that were obtained from 26 sampling points during a 48 h Aspergillus niger submerged batch cultivation. For each of the pellets, we were able to determine micromorphological properties such as number and density of spores, tips, branching points, and hyphae. The computed data allowed us to monitor the growth of submerged cultivated fungal pellets in highly resolved 3D for the first time. The generated morphological database from synchrotron measurements can be used to understand, describe, and model the growth of filamentous fungal cultivations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henri Müller
- School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Chair of Process Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Charlotte Deffur
- School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Chair of Process Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Stefan Schmideder
- School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Chair of Process Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Lars Barthel
- Chair of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tiaan Friedrich
- School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Chair of Process Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Lukas Mirlach
- School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Chair of Process Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Jörg U Hammel
- Helmholtz-Zentrum hereon, Institute of Materials Physics, Geesthacht, Germany
| | - Vera Meyer
- Chair of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Heiko Briesen
- School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Chair of Process Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
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Cairns TC, de Kanter T, Zheng XZ, Zheng P, Sun J, Meyer V. Regression modelling of conditional morphogene expression links and quantifies the impact of growth rate, fitness and macromorphology with protein secretion in Aspergillus niger. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS 2023; 16:95. [PMID: 37268954 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-023-02345-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Filamentous fungi are used as industrial cell factories to produce a diverse portfolio of proteins, organic acids, and secondary metabolites in submerged fermentation. Generating optimized strains for maximum product titres relies on a complex interplay of molecular, cellular, morphological, and macromorphological factors that are not yet fully understood. RESULTS In this study, we generate six conditional expression mutants in the protein producing ascomycete Aspergillus niger and use them as tools to reverse engineer factors which impact total secreted protein during submerged growth. By harnessing gene coexpression network data, we bioinformatically predicted six morphology and productivity associated 'morphogenes', and placed them under control of a conditional Tet-on gene switch using CRISPR-Cas genome editing. Strains were phenotypically screened on solid and liquid media following titration of morphogene expression, generating quantitative measurements of growth rate, filamentous morphology, response to various abiotic perturbations, Euclidean parameters of submerged macromorphologies, and total secreted protein. These data were built into a multiple linear regression model, which identified radial growth rate and fitness under heat stress as positively correlated with protein titres. In contrast, diameter of submerged pellets and cell wall integrity were negatively associated with productivity. Remarkably, our model predicts over 60% of variation in A. niger secreted protein titres is dependent on these four variables, suggesting that they play crucial roles in productivity and are high priority processes to be targeted in future engineering programs. Additionally, this study suggests A. niger dlpA and crzA genes are promising new leads for enhancing protein titres during fermentation. CONCLUSIONS Taken together this study has identified several potential genetic leads for maximizing protein titres, delivered a suite of chassis strains with user controllable macromorphologies during pilot fermentation studies, and has quantified four crucial factors which impact secreted protein titres in A. niger.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy C Cairns
- Chair of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße Des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Tom de Kanter
- Chair of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße Des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany
| | - Xiaomei Z Zheng
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, People's Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Ping Zheng
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, People's Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Jibin Sun
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, People's Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Vera Meyer
- Chair of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße Des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany.
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Kheirkhah T, Neubauer P, Junne S. Controlling Aspergillus niger morphology in a low shear-force environment in a rocking-motion bioreactor. Biochem Eng J 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2023.108905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
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Unlocking the magic in mycelium: Using synthetic biology to optimize filamentous fungi for biomanufacturing and sustainability. Mater Today Bio 2023; 19:100560. [PMID: 36756210 PMCID: PMC9900623 DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2023.100560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Filamentous fungi drive carbon and nutrient cycling across our global ecosystems, through its interactions with growing and decaying flora and their constituent microbiomes. The remarkable metabolic diversity, secretion ability, and fiber-like mycelial structure that have evolved in filamentous fungi have been increasingly exploited in commercial operations. The industrial potential of mycelial fermentation ranges from the discovery and bioproduction of enzymes and bioactive compounds, the decarbonization of food and material production, to environmental remediation and enhanced agricultural production. Despite its fundamental impact in ecology and biotechnology, molds and mushrooms have not, to-date, significantly intersected with synthetic biology in ways comparable to other industrial cell factories (e.g. Escherichia coli,Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Komagataella phaffii). In this review, we summarize a suite of synthetic biology and computational tools for the mining, engineering and optimization of filamentous fungi as a bioproduction chassis. A combination of methods across genetic engineering, mutagenesis, experimental evolution, and computational modeling can be used to address strain development bottlenecks in established and emerging industries. These include slow mycelium growth rate, low production yields, non-optimal growth in alternative feedstocks, and difficulties in downstream purification. In the scope of biomanufacturing, we then detail previous efforts in improving key bottlenecks by targeting protein processing and secretion pathways, hyphae morphogenesis, and transcriptional control. Bringing synthetic biology practices into the hidden world of molds and mushrooms will serve to expand the limited panel of host organisms that allow for commercially-feasible and environmentally-sustainable bioproduction of enzymes, chemicals, therapeutics, foods, and materials of the future.
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7
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Seidel S, Maschke RW, Kraume M, Eibl R, Eibl D. CFD modelling of a wave-mixed bioreactor with complex geometry and two degrees of freedom motion. FRONTIERS IN CHEMICAL ENGINEERING 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fceng.2022.1021416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Optimizing bioprocesses requires an in-depth understanding, from a bioengineering perspective, of the cultivation systems used. A bioengineering characterization is typically performed via experimental or numerical methods, which are particularly well-established for stirred bioreactors. For unstirred, non-rigid systems such as wave-mixed bioreactors, numerical methods prove to be problematic, as often only simplified geometries and motions can be assumed. In this work, a general approach for the numerical characterization of non-stirred cultivation systems is demonstrated using the CELL-tainer bioreactor with two degree of freedom motion as an example. In a first step, the motion is recorded via motion capturing, and a 3D model of the culture bag geometry is generated via 3D-scanning. Subsequently, the bioreactor is characterized with respect to mixing time, and oxygen transfer rate, as well as specific power input and temporal Kolmogorov length scale distribution. The results demonstrate that the CELL-tainer with two degrees of freedom outperforms classic wave-mixed bioreactors in terms of oxygen transport. In addition, it was shown that in the cell culture version of the CELL-tainer, the critical Kolmogorov length is not surpassed in any simulation.
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A Special Phenotype of Aconidial Aspergillus niger SH2 and Its Mechanism of Formation via CRISPRi. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8070679. [PMID: 35887436 PMCID: PMC9319794 DOI: 10.3390/jof8070679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The complex morphological structure of Aspergillus niger influences its production of proteins, metabolites, etc., making the genetic manipulation and clonal purification of this species increasingly difficult, especially in aconidial Aspergillus niger. In this study, we found that N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc) could induce the formation of spore-like propagules in the aconidial Aspergillus niger SH2 strain. The spore-like propagules possessed life activities such as drug resistance, genetic transformation, and germination. Transcriptomic analysis indicated that the spore-like propagules were resting conidia entering dormancy and becoming more tolerant to environmental stresses. The Dac1 gene and the metabolic pathway of GlcNAc converted to glycolysis are related to the formation of the spore-like propagules, as evidenced by the CRISPRi system, qPCR, and semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Moreover, a method based on the CRISPR-Cas9 tool to rapidly recycle screening tags and recover genes was suitable for Aspergillus niger SH2. To sum up, this suggests that the spore-like propagules are resting conidia and the mechanism of their formation is the metabolic pathway of GlcNAc converted to glycolysis, particularly the Dac1 gene. This study can improve our understanding of the critical factors involved in mechanisms of phenotypic change and provides a good model for researching phenotypic change in filamentous fungi.
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Mirzabe AH, Hajiahmad A, Fadavi A, Rafiee S. Design of nutrient gas-phase bioreactors: a critical comprehensive review. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 2022; 45:1239-1265. [PMID: 35562481 DOI: 10.1007/s00449-022-02728-6] [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: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
To reach an efficient and economical gas-phase bioreactor is still one of the most critical challenges in biotechnology engineering. The numerous advantages of gas-phase bioreactors (GPBs) as well as disadvantages of these bioreactors should be exactly recognized, and efforts should be made to eliminate these defects. The first step in upgrading these bioreactors is to identify their types and the results of previous research. In the present work, a summary of the studies carried out in the field of cultivation in these bioreactors, their classification, their components, their principles and relations governing elements, modeling them, and some of their inherent engineering aspects are presented. Literature review showed that inoculation of shoots, roots, adventurous roots, callus, nodal explants, anther, nodal segment, somatic embryo, hairy roots, and fungus is reported in 15, 2, 2, 2, 3, 2, 1, 1, 37, and 5 cases, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Hossein Mirzabe
- Department of Mechanics of Biosystem Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Alborz, Iran
| | - Ali Hajiahmad
- Department of Mechanics of Biosystem Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Alborz, Iran. .,Department of Mechanical Engineering of Biosystems, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, University of Tehran, Karaj, Alborz, Iran.
| | - Ali Fadavi
- Department of Food Technology, College of Aburaihan, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shahin Rafiee
- Department of Mechanics of Biosystem Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Alborz, Iran
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Müller H, Barthel L, Schmideder S, Schütze T, Meyer V, Briesen H. From spores to fungal pellets: a new high throughput image analysis highlights the structural development of Aspergillus niger. Biotechnol Bioeng 2022; 119:2182-2195. [PMID: 35477834 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Many filamentous fungi are exploited as cell factories in biotechnology. Cultivated under industrially relevant submerged conditions, filamentous fungi can adopt different macromorphologies ranging from dispersed mycelia over loose clumps to pellets. Central to the development of a pellet morphology is the agglomeration of spores after inoculation followed by spore germination and outgrowth into a pellet population which is usually very heterogeneous. As the dynamics underlying population heterogeneity are not yet fully understood, we present here a new high-throughput image analysis pipeline based on stereomicroscopy to comprehensively assess the developmental program starting from germination up to pellet formation. To demonstrate the potential of this pipeline, we used data from 44 sampling times harvested during a 48 h submerged batch cultivation of the fungal cell factory Aspergillus niger. The analysis of up to 1700 spore agglomerates and 1500 pellets per sampling time allowed the precise tracking of the morphological development of the overall culture. The data gained were used to calculate size distributions and area fractions of spores, spore agglomerates, spore agglomerates within pellets, pellets, and dispersed mycelia. This approach eventually enables the quantification of culture heterogeneities and pellet breakage. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henri Müller
- Technical University of Munich, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Chair of Process Systems Engineering, Freising, Germany
| | - Lars Barthel
- Chair of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Schmideder
- Technical University of Munich, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Chair of Process Systems Engineering, Freising, Germany
| | - Tabea Schütze
- Chair of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany
| | - Vera Meyer
- Chair of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany
| | - Heiko Briesen
- Technical University of Munich, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Chair of Process Systems Engineering, Freising, Germany
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Cairns TC, Zheng X, Feurstein C, Zheng P, Sun J, Meyer V. A Library of Aspergillus niger Chassis Strains for Morphology Engineering Connects Strain Fitness and Filamentous Growth With Submerged Macromorphology. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 9:820088. [PMID: 35111742 PMCID: PMC8801610 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.820088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Submerged fermentation using filamentous fungal cell factories is used to produce a diverse portfolio of useful molecules, including food, medicines, enzymes, and platform chemicals. Depending on strain background and abiotic culture conditions, different macromorphologies are formed during fermentation, ranging from dispersed hyphal fragments to approximately spherical pellets several millimetres in diameter. These macromorphologies are known to have a critical impact on product titres and rheological performance of the bioreactor. Pilot productivity screens in different macromorphological contexts is technically challenging, time consuming, and thus a significant limitation to achieving maximum product titres. To address this bottleneck, we developed a library of conditional expression mutants in the organic, protein, and secondary metabolite cell factory Aspergillus niger. Thirteen morphology-associated genes transcribed during fermentation were placed via CRISPR-Cas9 under control of a synthetic Tet-on gene switch. Quantitative analysis of submerged growth reveals that these strains have distinct and titratable macromorphologies for use as chassis during strain engineering programs. We also used this library as a tool to quantify how pellet formation is connected with strain fitness and filamentous growth. Using multiple linear regression modelling, we predict that pellet formation is dependent largely on strain fitness, whereas pellet Euclidian parameters depend on fitness and hyphal branching. Finally, we have shown that conditional expression of the putative kinase encoding gene pkh2 can decouple fitness, dry weight, pellet macromorphology, and culture heterogeneity. We hypothesize that further analysis of this gene product and the cell wall integrity pathway in which it is embedded will enable more precise engineering of A. niger macromorphology in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy C. Cairns
- Chair of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- *Correspondence: Timothy C. Cairns, ; Jibin Sun, ; Vera Meyer,
| | - Xiaomei Zheng
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China
| | - Claudia Feurstein
- Chair of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ping Zheng
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China
| | - Jibin Sun
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China
- *Correspondence: Timothy C. Cairns, ; Jibin Sun, ; Vera Meyer,
| | - Vera Meyer
- Chair of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- *Correspondence: Timothy C. Cairns, ; Jibin Sun, ; Vera Meyer,
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12
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Meyer V, Cairns T, Barthel L, King R, Kunz P, Schmideder S, Müller H, Briesen H, Dinius A, Krull R. Understanding and controlling filamentous growth of fungal cell factories: novel tools and opportunities for targeted morphology engineering. Fungal Biol Biotechnol 2021; 8:8. [PMID: 34425914 PMCID: PMC8383395 DOI: 10.1186/s40694-021-00115-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Filamentous fungal cell factories are efficient producers of platform chemicals, proteins, enzymes and natural products. Stirred-tank bioreactors up to a scale of several hundred m³ are commonly used for their cultivation. Fungal hyphae self-assemble into various cellular macromorphologies ranging from dispersed mycelia, loose clumps, to compact pellets. Development of these macromorphologies is so far unpredictable but strongly impacts productivities of fungal bioprocesses. Depending on the strain and the desired product, the morphological forms vary, but no strain- or product-related correlations currently exist to improve
process understanding of fungal production systems. However, novel genomic, genetic, metabolic, imaging and modelling tools have recently been established that will provide fundamental new insights into filamentous fungal growth and how it is balanced with product formation. In this primer, these tools will be highlighted and their revolutionary impact on rational morphology engineering and bioprocess control will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera Meyer
- Chair of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Timothy Cairns
- Chair of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lars Barthel
- Chair of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany
| | - Rudibert King
- Chair of Measurement and Control, Institute of Chemical and Process Engineering, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany
| | - Philipp Kunz
- Chair of Measurement and Control, Institute of Chemical and Process Engineering, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Schmideder
- Chair of Process Systems Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Gregor- Mendel-Str. 4, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Henri Müller
- Chair of Process Systems Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Gregor- Mendel-Str. 4, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Heiko Briesen
- Chair of Process Systems Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Gregor- Mendel-Str. 4, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Anna Dinius
- Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Rebenring 56, 38106, Brunswick, Germany.,Center of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Franz-Liszt-Str. 35a, 38106, Brunswick, Germany
| | - Rainer Krull
- Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Rebenring 56, 38106, Brunswick, Germany.,Center of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Franz-Liszt-Str. 35a, 38106, Brunswick, Germany
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Lara-Juache HR, Ávila-Hernández JG, Rodríguez-Durán LV, Michel MR, Wong-Paz JE, Muñiz-Márquez DB, Veana F, Aguilar-Zárate M, Ascacio-Valdés JA, Aguilar-Zárate P. Characterization of a Biofilm Bioreactor Designed for the Single-Step Production of Aerial Conidia and Oosporein by Beauveria bassiana PQ2. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7080582. [PMID: 34436122 PMCID: PMC8396940 DOI: 10.3390/jof7080582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Beauveria bassiana is an entomopathogenic fungus that is used for the biological control of different agricultural pest insects. B. bassiana is traditionally cultivated in submerged fermentation and solid-state fermentation systems to obtain secondary metabolites with antifungal activity and infective spores. This work presents the design and characterization of a new laboratory-scale biofilm bioreactor for the simultaneous production of oosporein and aerial conidia by B. bassiana PQ2. The reactor was built with materials available in a conventional laboratory. KLa was determined at different air flows (1.5–2.5 L/min) by two different methods in the liquid phase and in the exhaust gases. The obtained values showed that an air flow of 2.5 L/min is sufficient to ensure adequate aeration to produce aerial conidia and secondary metabolites by B. bassiana. Under the conditions studied, a concentration of 183 mg oosporein per liter and 1.24 × 109 spores per gram of support was obtained at 168 h of culture. These results indicate that the biofilm bioreactor represents a viable alternative for the production of products for biological control from B. bassiana.
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Affiliation(s)
- Héctor Raziel Lara-Juache
- Departamento de Ingenierías, Instituto Tecnológico de Ciudad Valles, Tecnológico Nacional de México, Carretera al Ingenio Plan de Ayala Km. 2, Colonia Vista Hermosa, Ciudad Valles, San Luis Potosí C.P. 79010, Mexico; (H.R.L.-J.); (M.R.M.); (J.E.W.-P.); (D.B.M.-M.); (F.V.)
| | - José Guadalupe Ávila-Hernández
- Facultad de Estudios Profesionales Zona Huasteca, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Romualdo del Campo, No. 501, Rafael Curiel, Ciudad Valles, San Luis Potosí C.P. 79060, Mexico;
| | - Luis Víctor Rodríguez-Durán
- Unidad Académica Multidisciplinaria Mante, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, E. Cárdenas González No. 1201, Jardín, Ciudad Mante, Tamaulipas C.P. 89840, Mexico
- Correspondence: (L.V.R.-D.); (P.A.-Z.)
| | - Mariela Ramona Michel
- Departamento de Ingenierías, Instituto Tecnológico de Ciudad Valles, Tecnológico Nacional de México, Carretera al Ingenio Plan de Ayala Km. 2, Colonia Vista Hermosa, Ciudad Valles, San Luis Potosí C.P. 79010, Mexico; (H.R.L.-J.); (M.R.M.); (J.E.W.-P.); (D.B.M.-M.); (F.V.)
| | - Jorge Enrique Wong-Paz
- Departamento de Ingenierías, Instituto Tecnológico de Ciudad Valles, Tecnológico Nacional de México, Carretera al Ingenio Plan de Ayala Km. 2, Colonia Vista Hermosa, Ciudad Valles, San Luis Potosí C.P. 79010, Mexico; (H.R.L.-J.); (M.R.M.); (J.E.W.-P.); (D.B.M.-M.); (F.V.)
| | - Diana Beatriz Muñiz-Márquez
- Departamento de Ingenierías, Instituto Tecnológico de Ciudad Valles, Tecnológico Nacional de México, Carretera al Ingenio Plan de Ayala Km. 2, Colonia Vista Hermosa, Ciudad Valles, San Luis Potosí C.P. 79010, Mexico; (H.R.L.-J.); (M.R.M.); (J.E.W.-P.); (D.B.M.-M.); (F.V.)
| | - Fabiola Veana
- Departamento de Ingenierías, Instituto Tecnológico de Ciudad Valles, Tecnológico Nacional de México, Carretera al Ingenio Plan de Ayala Km. 2, Colonia Vista Hermosa, Ciudad Valles, San Luis Potosí C.P. 79010, Mexico; (H.R.L.-J.); (M.R.M.); (J.E.W.-P.); (D.B.M.-M.); (F.V.)
| | - Mayra Aguilar-Zárate
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Av. Dr. Manuel Nava 6, Zona Universitaria, San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí C.P. 78290, Mexico;
| | - Juan Alberto Ascacio-Valdés
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila, Boulevard Venustiano Carranza s/n, República Oriente, Saltillo, Coahuila C.P. 25280, Mexico;
| | - Pedro Aguilar-Zárate
- Departamento de Ingenierías, Instituto Tecnológico de Ciudad Valles, Tecnológico Nacional de México, Carretera al Ingenio Plan de Ayala Km. 2, Colonia Vista Hermosa, Ciudad Valles, San Luis Potosí C.P. 79010, Mexico; (H.R.L.-J.); (M.R.M.); (J.E.W.-P.); (D.B.M.-M.); (F.V.)
- Correspondence: (L.V.R.-D.); (P.A.-Z.)
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15
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Bioprospecting and Applications of Fungi: A Game Changer in Present Scenario. Fungal Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-68260-6_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Potential of Integrating Model-Based Design of Experiments Approaches and Process Analytical Technologies for Bioprocess Scale-Down. ADVANCES IN BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING/BIOTECHNOLOGY 2021. [PMID: 33381857 DOI: 10.1007/10_2020_154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Typically, bioprocesses on an industrial scale are dynamic systems with a certain degree of variability, system inhomogeneities, and even population heterogeneities. Therefore, the scaling of such processes from laboratory to industrial scale and vice versa is not a trivial task. Traditional scale-down methodologies consider several technical parameters, so that systems on the laboratory scale tend to qualitatively reflect large-scale effects, but not the dynamic situation in an industrial bioreactor over the entire process, from the perspective of a cell. Supported by the enormous increase in computing power, the latest scientific focus is on the application of dynamic models, in combination with computational fluid dynamics to quantitatively describe cell behavior. These models allow the description of possible cellular lifelines which in turn can be used to derive a regime analysis for scale-down experiments. However, the approaches described so far, which were for a very few process examples, are very labor- and time-intensive and cannot be validated easily. In parallel, alternatives have been developed based on the description of the industrial process with hybrid process models, which describe a process mechanistically as far as possible in order to determine the essential process parameters with their respective variances. On-line analytical methods allow the characterization of population heterogeneity directly in the process. This detailed information from the industrial process can be used in laboratory screening systems to select relevant conditions in which the cell and process related parameters reflect the situation in the industrial scale. In our opinion, these technologies, which are available in research for modeling biological systems, in combination with process analytical techniques are so far developed that they can be implemented in industrial routines for faster development of new processes and optimization of existing ones.
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Comparative evaluation of Aspergillus niger strains for endogenous pectin-depolymerization capacity and suitability for D-galacturonic acid production. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 2020; 43:1549-1560. [PMID: 32328731 PMCID: PMC7378126 DOI: 10.1007/s00449-020-02347-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Pectinaceous agricultural residues rich in D-galacturonic acid (D-GalA), such as sugar beet pulp, are considered as promising feedstocks for waste-to-value conversions. Aspergillus niger is known for its strong pectinolytic activity. However, while specialized strains for production of citric acid or proteins are well characterized, this is not the case for the production of pectinases. We, therefore, systematically compared the pectinolytic capabilities of six A. niger strains (ATCC 1015, ATCC 11414, NRRL 3122, CBS 513.88, NRRL 3, and N402) using controlled batch cultivations in stirred-tank bioreactors. A. niger ATCC 11414 showed the highest polygalacturonase activity, specific protein secretion, and a suitable morphology. Furthermore, D-GalA release from sugar beet pulp was 75% higher compared to the standard lab strain A. niger N402. Our study, therefore, presents a robust initial strain selection to guide future process improvement of D-GalA production from agricultural residues and identifies a high-performance base strain for further genetic optimizations.
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Cortesão M, Schütze T, Marx R, Moeller R, Meyer V. Fungal Biotechnology in Space: Why and How? GRAND CHALLENGES IN FUNGAL BIOTECHNOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-29541-7_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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Cairns TC, Feurstein C, Zheng X, Zhang LH, Zheng P, Sun J, Meyer V. Functional exploration of co-expression networks identifies a nexus for modulating protein and citric acid titres in Aspergillus niger submerged culture. Fungal Biol Biotechnol 2019; 6:18. [PMID: 31728200 PMCID: PMC6842248 DOI: 10.1186/s40694-019-0081-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Filamentous fungal cell factories are used to produce numerous proteins, enzymes, and organic acids. Protein secretion and filamentous growth are tightly coupled at the hyphal tip. Additionally, both these processes require ATP and amino acid precursors derived from the citric acid cycle. Despite this interconnection of organic acid production and protein secretion/filamentous growth, few studies in fungi have identified genes which may concomitantly impact all three processes. RESULTS We applied a novel screen of a global co-expression network in the cell factory Aspergillus niger to identify candidate genes which may concomitantly impact macromorphology, and protein/organic acid fermentation. This identified genes predicted to encode the Golgi localized ArfA GTPase activating protein (GAP, AgeB), and ArfA guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs SecG and GeaB) to be co-expressed with citric acid cycle genes. Consequently, we used CRISPR-based genome editing to place the titratable Tet-on expression system upstream of ageB, secG, and geaB in A. niger. Functional analysis revealed that ageB and geaB are essential whereas secG was dispensable for early filamentous growth. Next, gene expression was titrated during submerged cultivations under conditions for either protein or organic acid production. ArfA regulators played varied and culture-dependent roles on pellet formation. Notably, ageB or geaB expression levels had major impacts on protein secretion, whereas secG was dispensable. In contrast, reduced expression of each predicted ArfA regulator resulted in an absence of citric acid in growth media. Finally, titrated expression of either GEFs resulted in an increase in oxaloacetic acid concentrations in supernatants. CONCLUSION Our data suggest that the Golgi may play an underappreciated role in modulating organic acid titres during industrial applications, and that this is SecG, GeaB and AgeB dependent in A. niger. These data may lead to novel avenues for strain optimization in filamentous fungi for improved protein and organic acid titres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy C. Cairns
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
| | - Claudia Feurstein
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Biotechnology, Chair of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Xiaomei Zheng
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Li Hui Zhang
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
- College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, 300457 China
| | - Ping Zheng
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Jibin Sun
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Vera Meyer
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Biotechnology, Chair of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
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Gómez-Ríos D, Junne S, Neubauer P, Ochoa S, Ríos-Estepa R, Ramírez-Malule H. Characterization of the Metabolic Response of Streptomyces clavuligerus to Shear Stress in Stirred Tanks and Single-Use 2D Rocking Motion Bioreactors for Clavulanic Acid Production. Antibiotics (Basel) 2019; 8:antibiotics8040168. [PMID: 31569725 PMCID: PMC6963652 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics8040168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2019] [Revised: 09/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptomyces clavuligerus is a gram-positive filamentous bacterium notable for producing clavulanic acid (CA), an inhibitor of β-lactamase enzymes, which confers resistance to bacteria against several antibiotics. Here we present a comparative analysis of the morphological and metabolic response of S. clavuligerus linked to the CA production under low and high shear stress conditions in a 2D rocking-motion single-use bioreactor (CELL-tainer ®) and stirred tank bioreactor (STR), respectively. The CELL-tainer® guarantees high turbulence and enhanced volumetric mass transfer at low shear stress, which (in contrast to bubble columns) allows the investigation of the impact of shear stress without oxygen limitation. The results indicate that high shear forces do not compromise the viability of S. clavuligerus cells; even higher specific growth rate, biomass, and specific CA production rate were observed in the STR. Under low shear forces in the CELL-tainer® the mycelial diameter increased considerably (average diameter 2.27 in CELL-tainer® vs. 1.44 µm in STR). This suggests that CA production may be affected by a lower surface-to-volume ratio which would lead to lower diffusion and transport of nutrients, oxygen, and product. The present study shows that there is a strong correlation between macromorphology and CA production, which should be an important aspect to consider in industrial production of CA.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Gómez-Ríos
- Grupo de Investigación en Simulación, Diseño, Control y Optimización de Procesos (SIDCOP), Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Universidad de Antioquia UdeA, Calle 70 No. 52-21, Medellín 050010, Colombia.
| | - Stefan Junne
- Bioprocess Engineering, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, D-13355 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Peter Neubauer
- Bioprocess Engineering, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, D-13355 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Silvia Ochoa
- Grupo de Investigación en Simulación, Diseño, Control y Optimización de Procesos (SIDCOP), Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Universidad de Antioquia UdeA, Calle 70 No. 52-21, Medellín 050010, Colombia.
| | - Rigoberto Ríos-Estepa
- Grupo de Bioprocesos, Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Universidad de Antioquia UdeA, Calle 70 No. 52-21, Medellín 050010, Colombia.
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Jansen RP, Beuck C, Moch M, Klein B, Küsters K, Morschett H, Wiechert W, Oldiges M. A closer look at Aspergillus: online monitoring via scattered light enables reproducible phenotyping. Fungal Biol Biotechnol 2019; 6:11. [PMID: 31396392 PMCID: PMC6681481 DOI: 10.1186/s40694-019-0073-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Filamentously growing microorganisms offer unique advantages for biotechnological processes, such as extraordinary secretion capacities, going along with multiple obstacles due to their complex morphology. However, limited experimental throughput in bioprocess development still hampers taking advantage of their full potential. Miniaturization and automation are powerful tools to accelerate bioprocess development, but so far the application of such technologies has mainly been focused on non-filamentous systems. During cultivation, filamentous fungi can undergo remarkable morphological changes, creating challenging cultivation conditions. Depending on the process and product, only one specific state of morphology may be advantageous to achieve e.g. optimal productivity or yield. Different approaches to control morphology have been investigated, such as microparticle enhanced cultivation. However, the addition of solid microparticles impedes the optical measurements typically used by microbioreactor systems and thus alternatives are needed. RESULTS Aspergillus giganteus IfGB 0902 was used as a model system to develop a time-efficient and robust workflow allowing microscale cultivation with increased throughput. The effect of microtiter plate geometry, shaking frequency and medium additives (talc and calcium chloride) on homogeneity of culture morphology as well as reproducibility were analyzed via online biomass measurement, microscopic imaging and cell dry weight. While addition of talc severely affected online measurements, 2% (w v-1) calcium chloride was successfully applied to obtain a highly reproducible growth behavior with homogenous morphology. Furthermore, the influence of small amounts of complex components was investigated for the applied model strain. By correlation to cell dry weight, it could be shown that optical measurements are a suitable signal for biomass concentration. However, each correlation is only applicable for a specific set of cultivation parameters. These optimized conditions were used in micro as well as lab-scale bioreactor cultivation in order to verify the reproducibility and scalability of the setup. CONCLUSION A robust workflow for A. giganteus was developed, allowing for reproducible microscale cultivation with online monitoring, where calcium chloride is an useful alternative to microparticle enhanced cultivation in order to control the morphology. Independent of the cultivation volume, comparable phenotypes were observed in microtiter plates and in lab-scale bioreactor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman P. Jansen
- Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences-Biotechnology (IBG-1), Jülich, Germany
| | - Carina Beuck
- Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences-Biotechnology (IBG-1), Jülich, Germany
| | - Matthias Moch
- Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences-Biotechnology (IBG-1), Jülich, Germany
| | - Bianca Klein
- Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences-Biotechnology (IBG-1), Jülich, Germany
| | - Kira Küsters
- Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences-Biotechnology (IBG-1), Jülich, Germany
| | - Holger Morschett
- Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences-Biotechnology (IBG-1), Jülich, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Wiechert
- Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences-Biotechnology (IBG-1), Jülich, Germany
- Computational Systems Biotechnology (AVT.CSB), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Marco Oldiges
- Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences-Biotechnology (IBG-1), Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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Papapostolou A, Karasavvas E, Chatzidoukas C. Oxygen mass transfer limitations set the performance boundaries of microbial PHA production processes – A model-based problem investigation supporting scale-up studies. Biochem Eng J 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2019.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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Chen X, Zhou J, Ding Q, Luo Q, Liu L. Morphology engineering ofAspergillus oryzaeforl‐malate production. Biotechnol Bioeng 2019; 116:2662-2673. [DOI: 10.1002/bit.27089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Revised: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiulai Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and TechnologyJiangnan University Wuxi China
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of EducationJiangnan University Wuxi China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation TechnologyJiangnan University Wuxi China
| | - Jie Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and TechnologyJiangnan University Wuxi China
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of EducationJiangnan University Wuxi China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation TechnologyJiangnan University Wuxi China
| | - Qiang Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and TechnologyJiangnan University Wuxi China
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of EducationJiangnan University Wuxi China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation TechnologyJiangnan University Wuxi China
| | - Qiuling Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and TechnologyJiangnan University Wuxi China
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of EducationJiangnan University Wuxi China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation TechnologyJiangnan University Wuxi China
| | - Liming Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and TechnologyJiangnan University Wuxi China
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of EducationJiangnan University Wuxi China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation TechnologyJiangnan University Wuxi China
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Cairns TC, Zheng X, Zheng P, Sun J, Meyer V. Moulding the mould: understanding and reprogramming filamentous fungal growth and morphogenesis for next generation cell factories. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2019; 12:77. [PMID: 30988699 PMCID: PMC6446404 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-019-1400-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Filamentous fungi are harnessed as cell factories for the production of a diverse range of organic acids, proteins, and secondary metabolites. Growth and morphology have critical implications for product titres in both submerged and solid-state fermentations. Recent advances in systems-level understanding of the filamentous lifestyle and development of sophisticated synthetic biological tools for controlled manipulation of fungal genomes now allow rational strain development programs based on data-driven decision making. In this review, we focus on Aspergillus spp. and other industrially utilised fungi to summarise recent insights into the multifaceted and dynamic relationship between filamentous growth and product titres from genetic, metabolic, modelling, subcellular, macromorphological and process engineering perspectives. Current progress and knowledge gaps with regard to mechanistic understanding of product secretion and export from the fungal cell are discussed. We highlight possible strategies for unlocking lead genes for rational strain optimizations based on omics data, and discuss how targeted genetic manipulation of these candidates can be used to optimise fungal morphology for improved performance. Additionally, fungal signalling cascades are introduced as critical processes that can be genetically targeted to control growth and morphology during biotechnological applications. Finally, we review progress in the field of synthetic biology towards chassis cells and minimal genomes, which will eventually enable highly programmable filamentous growth and diversified production capabilities. Ultimately, these advances will not only expand the fungal biotechnology portfolio but will also significantly contribute to a sustainable bio-economy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy C. Cairns
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaomei Zheng
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
| | - Ping Zheng
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
| | - Jibin Sun
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
| | - Vera Meyer
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 China
- Department of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, 13355 Berlin, Germany
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Tajsoleiman T, Mears L, Krühne U, Gernaey KV, Cornelissen S. An Industrial Perspective on Scale-Down Challenges Using Miniaturized Bioreactors. Trends Biotechnol 2019; 37:697-706. [PMID: 30737008 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2019.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Revised: 01/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Miniaturized stirred bioreactors (MSBRs) are gaining popularity as a cost-effective approach to scale-down experimentation. However, realizing conditions that reflect the large-scale process accurately can be challenging. This article highlights common challenges of using MSBRs for scale-down. The fundamental difference between oxygen mass transfer coefficient (kLa) and oxygen transfer rate scaling is addressed and the difficulty of achieving turbulent flow and industrially relevant tip speeds is described. More practical challenges of using MSBR systems for scale-down are also discussed, including the risk of vortex formation, changed volume dynamics, and wall growth. By highlighting these challenges, the article aims to create more awareness of these difficulties and to contribute to improved design of scale-down experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tannaz Tajsoleiman
- Process and Systems Engineering Center (PROSYS), Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Building 229, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Lisa Mears
- Novozymes A/S, Krogshoejvej 36, 2880 Bagsvaerd, Denmark
| | - Ulrich Krühne
- Process and Systems Engineering Center (PROSYS), Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Building 229, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Krist V Gernaey
- Process and Systems Engineering Center (PROSYS), Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Building 229, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark. https://twitter.com/@KristGernaey
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Cairns TC, Feurstein C, Zheng X, Zheng P, Sun J, Meyer V. A quantitative image analysis pipeline for the characterization of filamentous fungal morphologies as a tool to uncover targets for morphology engineering: a case study using aplD in Aspergillus niger. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2019; 12:149. [PMID: 31223339 PMCID: PMC6570962 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-019-1473-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fungal fermentation is used to produce a diverse repertoire of enzymes, chemicals, and drugs for various industries. During submerged cultivation, filamentous fungi form a range of macromorphologies, including dispersed mycelia, clumped aggregates, or pellets, which have critical implications for rheological aspects during fermentation, gas/nutrient transfer, and, thus, product titres. An important component of strain engineering efforts is the ability to quantitatively assess fungal growth phenotypes, which will drive novel leads for morphologically optimized production strains. RESULTS In this study, we developed an automated image analysis pipeline to quantify the morphology of pelleted and dispersed growth (MPD) which rapidly and reproducibly measures dispersed and pelleted macromorphologies from any submerged fungal culture. It (i) enables capture and analysis of several hundred images per user/day, (ii) is designed to quantitatively assess heterogeneous cultures consisting of dispersed and pelleted forms, (iii) gives a quantitative measurement of culture heterogeneity, (iv) automatically generates key Euclidian parameters for individual fungal structures including particle diameter, aspect ratio, area, and solidity, which are also assembled into a previously described dimensionless morphology number MN, (v) has an in-built quality control check which enables end-users to easily confirm the accuracy of the automated calls, and (vi) is easily adaptable to user-specified magnifications and macromorphological definitions. To concomitantly provide proof of principle for the utility of this image analysis pipeline, and provide new leads for morphologically optimized fungal strains, we generated a morphological mutant in the cell factory Aspergillus niger based on CRISPR-Cas technology. First, we interrogated a previously published co-expression networks for A. niger to identify a putative gamma-adaptin encoding gene (aplD) that was predicted to play a role in endosome cargo trafficking. Gene editing was used to generate a conditional aplD expression mutant under control of the titratable Tet-on system. Reduced aplD expression caused a hyperbranched growth phenotype and diverse defects in pellet formation with a putative increase in protein secretion. This possible protein hypersecretion phenotype could be correlated with increased dispersed mycelia, and both decreased pellet diameter and MN. CONCLUSION The MPD image analysis pipeline is a simple, rapid, and flexible approach to quantify diverse fungal morphologies. As an exemplar, we have demonstrated that the putative endosomal transport gene aplD plays a crucial role in A. niger filamentous growth and pellet formation during submerged culture. This suggests that endocytic components are underexplored targets for engineering fungal cell factories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy C. Cairns
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
| | - Claudia Feurstein
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
- Department of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, 13355 Berlin, Germany
| | - Xiaomei Zheng
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049 Beijing, China
| | - Ping Zheng
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049 Beijing, China
| | - Jibin Sun
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049 Beijing, China
| | - Vera Meyer
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
- Department of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, 13355 Berlin, Germany
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