Engineering enhanced vitamin synthesis in bacteria

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This project aims to apply synthetic biology and metabolic engineering strategies to one of the most complex biochemical pathways found in nature in order to address a current need for a cheaper and more reliable source of vitamin B12, the so-called anti-pernicious anaemia factor. Vitamin B12 is a cobalt-containing molecule that acts as a coenzyme and cofactor for a number of key biological processes. It is unique among the vitamins in that it is made solely by prokaryotes but is retained by many eukaryotes as a nutrient because of the greatly improved rates of reaction observed with B12-dependent enzymes in comparison to B12-independent processes. Vitamin B12 is a structurally complex molecule and this is reflected in an equally complex biochemical pathway. This collaborative project seeks to provide new key fundamental insights into the operations of the B12 biosynthetic pathway and at the same time lead to the construction of a strong B12-overproduction strain.