Engineering enhanced vitamin synthesis in bacteria

该项目旨在将合成生物学和代谢工程策略应用于自然界中发现的最复杂的生化途径之一，以满足目前对维生素B12(即所谓的抗恶性贫血因子)更便宜、更可靠来源的需求。维生素B12是一种含钴的分子，在许多关键的生物学过程中充当辅酶和辅因子。它在维生素中是独一无二的，因为它只由原核生物制造，但被许多真核生物作为营养物质保留，因为与B12不依赖的过程相比，B12依赖的酶的反应速度大大提高。维生素B12是一种结构复杂的分子，这反映在同样复杂的生化途径中。这一合作项目旨在为B12生物合成途径的操作提供新的关键基础见解，同时导致构建一种强大的B12过量生产菌株。

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.