Mirna Kheir Gouda (VOIGT LAB)

Engineering Bacteria for Bioassimilation and Upcycling of Nylon Monomers

Microbes have carved out a myriad of enzymatic reactions to breakdown or to synthesize a wide variety of useful metabolites. Through metabolic engineering, we can build self-expanding and renewable biological factories that derive their energy from depolymerized waste to produce commercially valuable compounds. To this end, we engineered Acinetobacter baylyi for the bioassimilation of common nylon monomers (i.e HMDA, 6-ACA and adipic acid). The engineered pathway produces secondary metabolites, such as glutamic acid which can be further enzymatically converted to high value products. This coupling of bioassimilation and bioproduction routes offers a promising route for profitable and sustainable waste handling that complements current (bio)depolymerization methods.

Kwan Yoon (VOIGT LAB)

Engineering Synthetic Plant-Microbe Interactions for Plant Disease Resistance

To feed a growing population in the face of climate change, we must increase crop yields through sustainable technologies. To this end, engineering the soil microbiome is compelling, as plant growth promoting (PGP) bacteria can substitute for environmentally harmful agrochemicals. By engineering the plant host to control bacterial gene expression, we can establish exclusive coupling and tailor activity of PGP traits depending on host conditions. Here, we describe the use of p-Coumaroyl-HSL (pC-HSL) as a novel plant-to-microbe communication channel, as well as the development of synthetic pathogen inducible plant promoters.