Improving Target Chemical Productivity Using Artificial Genetic Circuits

Taizo Hanai

Laboratory for Synthetic Biology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan

By selecting functionally known biomolecular parts and designing DNA as if writing a program, it has become possible to artificially reconstitute in model organisms to fulfill specific purposes. Such gene expression control systems, designed and reconstructed from combinations of functionally known biomolecular parts, are referred to as 'artificial genetic circuits' and were born in the field of synthetic biology. Artificial genetic circuits are expected to find applications in various engineering fields, such as metabolic control for bioproduction. In this presentation, I will explain the application of artificial genetic circuits to bioproduction using our research examples: 1) Enhancing isopropanol productivity through a metabolic toggle switch, 2) Autonomous metabolic control via cell density sensors and metabolic toggle switches, and 3) Development of novel bioprocesses using artificial bacterial consortia.