Microbial production of indigo dyes: Strain improvement for enhanced bioconversion efficiencies, process development and scale-up
Location: School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University
Project ID: BUKE070
Annual Stipend: £11,702
Application Deadline: June 30th., 2022
In the microbial production of the dye molecule indigo (Bioindigo), several barriers to a commercially viable production process exist, including side product formation, low substrate bioconversion and insolubility of the indigo itself, which accumulates inside the cells. Strain development is therefore needed to enhance bioconversion efficiencies, facilitate product purification and increase overall yields.
The project aims to deliver the following outputs:
1) bioinformatic survey of genomes of the bacterial production strains
2) Production of gene knockouts unable to hydrolyse the soluble precursor intermediate in the production strains
3) Construction of shuttle vectors containing the genes for soluble precursor formation under control of the lacI promoter/operator, in E.coli.
4) Transformation of producing strains (and E.coli) with the constructed vectors and demonstration of transformants secreting the soluble precursor it into the culture medium.
5) Assay development for substrate and pathway intermediates
6) Data from monitoring of substrate, intermediate and end-product concentrations indicating improved bioconversion efficiencies (substrate utilisation and yields) in the modified strains.
7) Chemistry and spectroscopic data for substrates and product confirmation.
The start of the project will be October 1st., 2022
The project will be co-supervised by Profs. Peter Golyshin and Alexander Yakunin.
The Project will be carried out in collaboration with the industrial partner BlueGene Technologies Ltd.
To apply, please send a CV and covering letter to Prof. Peter Golyshin ([Email Address Removed]) and cc to Penny Dowdney ([Email Address Removed]) by 5p.m. on June 30th. 2022.
KESS 2 East is a pan-Wales higher level skills initiative led by Bangor University on behalf of the HE sector in Wales. It is part funded by the Welsh Government’s European Social Fund (ESF) convergence programme for East Wales.
Due to ESF funding, eligibility restrictions apply to this scholarship. To be eligible, the successful candidate will need to be resident in East Wales on University registration, and must have the right to work in the region on qualification.
www.kess2.ac.uk
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