title: Metabolic engineering of microbial competitive advantage for industrial fermentation processes.
abstract: Microbial contamination is an obstacle to widespread production of advanced biofuels and chemicals. Current practices such as process sterilization or antibiotic dosage carry excess costs or encourage the development of antibiotic resistance. We engineered Escherichia coli to assimilate melamine, a xenobiotic compound containing nitrogen. After adaptive laboratory evolution to improve pathway efficiency, the engineered strain rapidly outcompeted a control strain when melamine was supplied as the nitrogen source. We additionally engineered the yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Yarrowia lipolytica to assimilate nitrogen from cyanamide and phosphorus from potassium phosphite, and they outcompeted contaminating strains in several low-cost feedstocks. Supplying essential growth nutrients through xenobiotic or ecologically rare chemicals provides microbial competitive advantage with minimal external risks, given that engineered biocatalysts only have improved fitness within the customized fermentation environment.
authors: Novogy, 85 Bolton Street, Cambridge, MA 02140, USA.
authors: A Joe
authors: AJ
authors: Shaw
authors: Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
authors: Felix H
authors: FH
authors: Lam
authors: Novogy, 85 Bolton Street, Cambridge, MA 02140, USA.
authors: Maureen
authors: M
authors: Hamilton
authors: Novogy, 85 Bolton Street, Cambridge, MA 02140, USA.
authors: Andrew
authors: A
authors: Consiglio
authors: Novogy, 85 Bolton Street, Cambridge, MA 02140, USA.
authors: Kyle
authors: K
authors: MacEwen
authors: Novogy, 85 Bolton Street, Cambridge, MA 02140, USA. Total New Energies USA, 5858 Horton Street, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA.
authors: Elena E
authors: EE
authors: Brevnova
authors: Novogy, 85 Bolton Street, Cambridge, MA 02140, USA.
authors: Emily
authors: E
authors: Greenhagen
authors: Novogy, 85 Bolton Street, Cambridge, MA 02140, USA.
authors: W Greg
authors: WG
authors: LaTouf
authors: Novogy, 85 Bolton Street, Cambridge, MA 02140, USA.
authors: Colin R
authors: CR
authors: South
authors: Novogy, 85 Bolton Street, Cambridge, MA 02140, USA.
authors: Hans
authors: H
authors: van Dijken
authors: Novogy, 85 Bolton Street, Cambridge, MA 02140, USA. Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
authors: Gregory
authors: G
authors: Stephanopoulos
mesh_terms: D055162:Biocatalysis; D056804:Biofuels; D003484:Cyanamide / Q000378:metabolism; D019020:Directed Molecular Evolution; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005285:Fermentation / Q000235:genetics*; D007218:Industrial Microbiology / Q000379:methods*; D060847:Metabolic Engineering; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways / Q000235:genetics; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D017905:Phosphites / Q000378:metabolism; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014227:Triazines / Q000378:metabolism*; D025062:Yarrowia / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D017905:Phosphites; D014227:Triazines; D003484:Cyanamide; C011907:melamine; D009584:Nitrogen