Engineering Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 for continuous growth under diurnal conditions.

Synechococcus elongatus strain PCC 7942 strictly depends upon the generation of photosynthetically derived energy for growth and is incapable of biomass increase in the absence of light energy. Obligate phototrophs' core metabolism is very similar to that of heterotrophic counterparts exhibiting diverse trophic behavior. Most characterized cyanobacterial species are obligate photoautotrophs under examined conditions.

Synthetic biology guides biofuel production.

The advancement of microbial processes for the production of renewable liquid fuels has increased with concerns about the current fuel economy. The development of advanced biofuels in particular has risen to address some of the shortcomings of ethanol. These advanced fuels have chemical properties similar to petroleum-based liquid fuels, thus removing the need for engine modification or infrastructure redesign.

3-Methyl-1-butanol production in Escherichia coli: random mutagenesis and two-phase fermentation.

Interest in producing biofuels from renewable sources has escalated due to energy and environmental concerns. Recently, the production of higher chain alcohols from 2-keto acid pathways has shown significant progress. In this paper, we demonstrate a mutagenesis approach in developing a strain of Escherichia coli for the production of 3-methyl-1-butanol by leveraging selective pressure toward L-leucine biosynthesis and screening for increased alcohol production.

Microbial production of advanced transportation fuels in non-natural hosts.

The production of alternative transportation fuels from renewable sources has gained increased attention due to energy and environmental concerns. Recently, progress has been made in the development of microbe-based processes for the production of biofuels beyond ethanol. These biofuels possess superior fuel properties relative to ethanol, such as increased energy density, low hygroscopicity, and low vapor pressure.

Engineering of an Escherichia coli strain for the production of 3-methyl-1-butanol.

3-Methyl-1-butanol is a potential fuel additive or substitute. Previously this compound was identified in small quantities in yeast fermentation as one of the fusel alcohols. In this work, we engineered an Escherichia coli strain to produce 3-methyl-1-butanol from glucose via the host's amino acid biosynthetic pathways.

Metabolic engineering of Escherichia coli for 1-butanol production.

Compared to ethanol, butanol offers many advantages as a substitute for gasoline because of higher energy content and higher hydrophobicity. Typically, 1-butanol is produced by Clostridium in a mixed-product fermentation. To facilitate strain improvement for specificity and productivity, we engineered a synthetic pathway in Escherichia coli and demonstrated the production of 1-butanol from this non-native user-friendly host.

Design of artificial cell-cell communication using gene and metabolic networks.

Artificial transcriptional networks have been used to achieve novel, nonnative behavior in bacteria. Typically, these artificial circuits are isolated from cellular metabolism and are designed to function without intercellular communication. To attain concerted biological behavior in a population, synchronization through intercellular communication is highly desirable.