Synthetic metabolic pathways and biosensor systems for production and detection of chemicals in Cupriavidus necator

The production of chemicals from renewable sources is a key for a sustainable future. Various compounds can be produced by bacteria and yeast carrying synthetic metabolic pathways assembled of multiple genes derived from other organisms. Lithoautotropic bacteria such as C. necator possess the attractive property of converting carbon dioxide into organic compounds using hydrogen as a sole energy source.

This PhD project will be aimed at engineering C. necator to produce specialty chemicals and to develop sensory systems for detection of these compounds. Combinatorial transcriptional engineering and genetically encoded metabolic switch strategies will be used for synthetic metabolic pathway optimisation. Development and optimisation of the gas fermentation process for bioproduction will play important part in the project. The project will be carried out within the BBSRC/EPSRC Synthetic Biology Research Centre. Centre’s set-up will provide training in a unique multidisciplinary environment, incorporating metabolic engineering and computer modelling, synthetic biology and microbial physiology, gas fermentation, biochemical and biophysical analytics.