Vitamins, bacterial microcompartments and membrane vesicles: Engineering bacteria for useful purposes Event

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The engineering and redesign of biological processes is key to the development and use of synthetic biotechnology, especially for its application to industrial biotechnology. Over the years my research group has developed cloning methods to allow for the engineering of complex biochemical pathways in E. coli, such as the 30 steps associated with the biogenesis of vitamin B12. This work has been extended to allow for the construction of macromolecular proteinaceous compartments within bacteria, such as the bacterial microcompartments.associated with propanediol utilisation. These structures can be deconstructed and redesigned for the production of cytoplasmic scaffolds within the cell, which can be used to help orchestrate and improve bacterial metabolism. Our study of bacterial compartmentalisation also led to the unexpected identification of specific proteins that encourage the formation of both inner and outer membrane vesicles. Collectively this work has engaged with industries associated with nutrition and health, commodity chemical synthesis and diagnostics and vaccine production.