Bioprospecting and synthetic biology for novel microbial pigments based on Raman spectroscopy-guided single cell sorting

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Studentship strategic priority area:Synthetic BiologyKeywords: Raman spectroscopy, microfluidics, pigments, cyanobacteria, bioprospectingPigments have many applications in the pharma- and nutraceutical industry. The oceans offer a largely untapped, sustainable resource for novel pigments. Marine cyanobacteria have evolutionary adapted to a wide range of niches in the seabed, resulting in strain-specific pigment palettes that optimally harvest the available photosynthetic wavelengths while protecting the cells against photo-damage. Microbial bioprospecting is a promising route to expand product diversity in the high-value market (carotenoids and phycobilins). The aims of this project are to1. identify cyanobacterial strains in Scottish coastal waters that produce novel pigments,2. identify the genes that underpin pigment production in the natural strains,3. transfer them to a fast-growing lab strain for pathway optimization.The student will collect seawater samples from the Scottish coast, and subject them to automated Raman spectroscopy-based cell-sorting, which allows single cells with promising spectral properties to be rescued for subsequent culturing in the lab. The established strains will be characterized using 'omics' technology to pinpoint the molecular entities underpinning pigment production. The student will then use a synthetic biology approach for pathway optimization in Synechococcus PCC 7002.The student will receive training in marine phycology (SAMS, Oban), Raman spectroscopy and microfluidics (University of Glasgow, Engineering), omics technologies (Glasgow Polyomics) and molecular/synthetic biology (UofG, MVLS -MCSB).