Improving carbon monoxide tolerance of H16 through adaptive laboratory evolution.

The toxic gas carbon monoxide (CO) is abundantly present in synthesis gas (syngas) and certain industrial waste gases that can serve as feedstocks for the biological production of industrially significant chemicals and fuels. For efficient bacterial growth to occur, and to increase productivity and titres, a high resistance to the gas is required. The aerobic bacterium H16 can grow on CO + H, although it cannot utilise CO as a source of carbon and energy.