Team:Wisconsin-Madison/lemon

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<p align="left" class="classtheinlinecontent"><strong><span style="font-size:24px">Why</span> Produce Limonene?</strong></p><br />
<p align="left" class="classtheinlinecontent"><strong><span style="font-size:24px">Why</span> Produce Limonene?</strong></p><br />
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<p align="left" class="classtheinlinecontent2">The goal of this project is to engineer Escherichia coli to produce limonene. Limonene is a 10-carbon monoterpene and is found naturally in the oils of citrus fruits.  It is used as a cleaning agent, solvent, food additive and even new medical applications. Limonene also possesses the chemical properties of an ideal biofuel, specifically as a jet fuel due to its low freezing point, combustibility and high energy density. Currently, industrial production is restricted to direct extraction from citrus fruits.  This prevents collection in quantities large enough to be useful as a biofuel. Other organisms, such as E. coli, could be used to produce limonene more effectively and efficiently.</p>
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<p align="left" class="classtheinlinecontent2"> Limonene is a 10-carbon monoterpene found in the oils of citrus fruits.  It is used as a cleaning agent, solvent, and food additive, and recent research has shown it has potential anti-cancer applications. Limonene also possesses the chemical properties of an ideal biofuel; its low freezing point, combustibility, and high energy density make it a potential jet fuel replacement. Currently, industrial production is restricted to direct extraction from citrus fruits, preventing collection in quantities large enough to be useful as a biofuel. Other organisms, such as <i> Escherichia coli </i>, could be used to produce limonene more effectively and efficiently.</p>
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<p align="left" class="classtheinlinecontent"><strong><span style="font-size:24px">The</span> Mevalonate Pathway</strong></p><br />
<p align="left" class="classtheinlinecontent"><strong><span style="font-size:24px">The</span> Mevalonate Pathway</strong></p><br />
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<p align="left" class="classtheinlinecontent2">The mevalonate pathway is a series of enzymes used to take Acetyl-CoA to 3-isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP) through several chemical reactions. IPP and DMAPP are the building blocks for a family of molecules called Isoprenoids which are a group of organic molecules with a wide array of functions. It was used in the Jay Keasling’s lab to create an antimalarial drug precursor, amorphadiene, much cheaper and faster than was previously possible.</p>
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<p align="left" class="classtheinlinecontent2">The mevalonate pathway, found in plants and fungi, produces 3-isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP) from acetyl-CoA. IPP and DMAPP are the building blocks of the isoprenoids, a group of organic molecules with a wide array of functions. These compounds are normally synthesized in small amounts, preventing large-scale production; by moving the mevalonate pathway into <i>E. coli</i> this limitation can be circumvented. The Keasling lab at UC-Berkeley used this approach to produce the isoprenoid amorphadiene, which can be converted into the antimalarial drug artemisinin. This breakthrough brought the price of artemisinin down dramatically for treatment in the developing world.</p>
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<p align="left" class="classtheinlinecontent2">In this research, a strain of E. coli will be bioengineered to produce limonene by inserting the genes for the necessary biochemical pathways. Our strain contains the genes coding for the Mevalonate pathway, a synthesized Geranyl Diphosphate Synthase (GPPS) gene, and a synthesized and codon optimized Limonene Synthase gene. The plasmid, pBba5c, contains the genes for the mevalonate pathway in an operon under a lac inducible promoter. During our research we used the Gibson cloning method to replace the ispA gene with the GPPS gene into the pBba5c plasmid. This created pBba5c-GPPS for better theoretical production of Limonene. This strain would theoretically be able to produce Limonene using common media.</p>
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<p align="left" class="classtheinlinecontent2">We have constructed a strain containing the mevalonate pathway, a codon-optimized geranyl diphosphate synthase (GPPS), and a codon-optimized limonene synthase gene. The plasmid pBba5c contains the genes for the mevalonate pathway under a lactose-inducible promoter. The plasmid originally contained the unnecessary <i>ispA</i> gene; we used the Gibson cloning method to replace <i>ispA</i> with the GPPS gene. The resulting plasmid, pBba5c-GPPS, should theoretically allow higher production of limonene.</p>
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<p align="left" class="classtheinlinecontent2">5 mL cultures of each strain (listed below) were grown overnight at 37°C in LB, then normalized to an OD600 of 1 and diluted 1:100 into 40 mL cultures.  They were then grown up to an OD600 of 0.2 and the promoters in the pBba5C vector were induced with 1 mM IPTG. 10 mL of dodecane were used to overlay the culture. This overlay was used as an organic layer for the limonene to diffuse into.  These cultures were then grown for 18 hours, centrifuged, and 1mL of the dodecane overlay was diluted in ethyl acetate and sampled in a GC/MS. </p>
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<p align="left" class="classtheinlinecontent2">Five milliliter cultures of each strain (listed below) were grown overnight at 37°C in LB, then normalized to an OD600 of 1 and diluted 1:100 into 40 mL cultures of LBThese were then grown to an OD600 of 0.2 and the promoters in the pBba5C vector induced with 1 mM IPTG. A 10 mL overlay of dodecane was used to trap any limonene produced.  These cultures were then grown for 18 hours, centrifuged, and 1mL of the dodecane overlay diluted in ethyl acetate and analyzed by GC/MS. </p>
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    <td><b>Strain</b></td>  <td><b>Purpose</b></td>
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     <td>pBba5c + J23102-RFP (J23102 promoter only as a negative control)</td>
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     <td>pBba5c + J23102-RFP</td> <td>J23102 promoter only as a negative control</td>
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     <td>pBba5c + J23102-LimS1 (Production strain)</td>
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     <td>pBba5c + J23102-LIMS1</td> <td>Production strain</td>
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     <td>pBba5c + J23102-CO_LimS (Production Strain)</td>
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     <td>pBba5c + J23102-CO_LIMS1</td> <td>Production Strain</td>
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     <td>pBba5c + pTRC-ADS (pTRC-ADS is the amorphadiene synthase)</td>
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     <td>pBba5c + pTRC-ADS</td> <td>pTRC-ADS is the amorphadiene synthase</td>
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     <td>pBba5c-GPPS + J23102-RFP (Negative control)</td>
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     <td>pBba5c-GPPS + J23102-RFP</td> <td>Negative control</td>
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     <td>pBba5c-GPPS + J23102-LimS1 (Production strain)</td>
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     <td>pBba5c-GPPS + J23102-LIMS1</td> <td>Production strain</td>
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     <td>pBba5c-GPPS + J23102-CO_LimS (Production strain</td>
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     <td>pBba5c-GPPS + J23102-CO_LIMS1</td> <td>Production strain</td>
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     <td>pBba5c-GPPS + J23102-pTRC-ADS (Testing the GPPS-ispA swap with gibson)</td>
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     <td>pBba5c-GPPS + J23102-pTRC-ADS</td> <td>Testing the GPPS-ispA swap with gibson</td>
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<i>---Insert GC/MS graphs here, (J23-lims, J23-COlims, both with pbb and pbb-gpps)<br>
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<a href="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2012/c/c7/UWMlimoneneRetent.png"><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2012/c/c7/UWMlimoneneRetent.png" width="800px"></a>
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<p align="center">In figures A, C, and D, the large black limonene peak is a doped limonene standard included as a positive control for the GC/MS assay. The blue and purple lines cannot be seen, because they are along the baseline; i.e. no limonene is being produced. J23102 (empty) in figures A, B, and D is the promoter run as a negative control. Figure B demonstrates the decrease in amorphadiene between the regular pBbA5c and the pBbA5c with the GPPS swapped in for the ispA gene.</p>
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---(empty promoters [rfp] with pbb and pbb-gps)<br>
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---(pADS with pbb and pbb-gpps)<br>
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<p align="left" class="classtheinlinecontent2">As seen in this GC/MS data, limonene was not produced. There was a small peak located where limonene was expected, but this peak also appeared in the empty promoter strain as well. In order to the strain's production capacity, we replaced the limonene synthase with amorphadiene synthase. The <i>ispA</i> gene produces farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP), the precursor to amorphadiene. Both the pBbA5c with <i>ispA</i> and GPPS were used to troubleshoot the mevalonate pathway by attempting to generate amorphadiene. In the GC/MS data, both strains created amorphadiene when amorphadiene synthase was included in the strain. Thus, we surmise that the mevalonate pathway is functioning correctly. The pBba5C-GPPS strain with amorphadiene synthase should not create amorphadiene, as <i>ispA</i> has been replaced with GPPS; however, because the <i> E. coli </i> genome naturally contains <ispA</i>, some amount may still be produced. The amorphadiene peak associated with the pBbA5c-GPPS was much smaller than the peak generated by the pBbA5c-ispA construct, as expected. However, this does not prove that the GPPS is working as anticipated.</p>
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<p align="left" class="classtheinlinecontent2">As seen in this GC/MS data, limonene was not produced. There was a small peak located where limonene was supposed to be, but unfortunately that peak also showed up in the empty promoter strain as well. In order to troubleshoot the lack of production, we tried to produce amorphadiene, which shares the same precursor molecules as limonene up until the GPP step of the pathway. The ispA gene synthesizes Farnesyl Pyrophosphate (FPP), the precursor to amorphadiene. Both the pBbA5c with the ispA and with the GPPS were used to troubleshoot the mevalonate pathway by attempting to generate amorphadiene. In the GC/MS data, both strains created amorphadiene when amorphadiene synthase was included in the bacterial strain. Thus, the mevalonate pathway seems to be functioning correctly. However, the pBba5C-GPPS strain with the amorphadiene synthase should not create amorphadiene because ispA has been replaced with GPPS. There was still an amorphadiene peak found in the GC/MS data, but this is because the E. coli genome naturally contains the ispA gene. The amorphadiene peak associated with the pBbA5c-GPPS was much smaller than the peak generated by the pBbA5c-ispA construct. This implies that ispA was replaced correctly (also confirmed by sequencing data), but does not prove that the GPPS is working as anticipated.</p>
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<p align="left" class="classtheinlinecontent"><strong><span style="font-size:24px">The</span> Conclusion</strong></p><br />
<p align="left" class="classtheinlinecontent"><strong><span style="font-size:24px">The</span> Conclusion</strong></p><br />
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<p align="left" class="classtheinlinecontent2">As stated in the last section, the data shows that the mevalonate pathway is functioning correctly. This means that something is either wrong with the limonene synthase gene or the GPPS. Neither the codon optimized nor the classic versions of limonene synthase are producing limonene. To further troubleshoot the production strains, a growth curve was run to determine if cell viability was being affected by the synthetic pathway.</p>
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<p align="left" class="classtheinlinecontent2">The data shows that the mevalonate pathway is functioning correctly. This indicates that the problem is either limonene synthase or GPPS. To further assess the production strains, a growth curve was run to determine if cell viability was being affected by the synthetic pathway.</p>
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<p align="center">Growth curves are organized either by base mevalonate vector or by version of limonene synthase. pBAD33 mimics pBbA5c, acting as an empty vector. Four replicates of each strain were grown on a 96-well plate; error bars indicate standard deviation.</p>
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These growth curves present two important conclusions. The classic limonene synthase shows a growth defect in comparison to the synthesized codon-optimized limonene synthase. More dramatically, the pBbA5c with ispA greatly inhibits cell growth. A possible explanation for this is the toxicity of the FPP to the cell as the pBbA5c-GPPS did not inhibit cell growth in comparison to the pBbA5c-ispA. Since ispA is native to E. coli, it should be translated more efficiently than the other enzymes in the mevalonate pathway, including GPPS. To further interpret this growth curve data it would be beneficial to insert GPPS and ispA into the Translation Coupling Cassette (TCC) and compare their translational efficiency. The rationale for the focus on GPPS is due to the fact that we now know the codon-optimized limonene synthase is being translated because of our TCC data (See TCC page for further explanation). However, even though limonene synthase is being translated, it may not be functioning correctly. This leads us to the in vitro assays described on the TCC project page. With additional TCC data and in vitro assays, we would hope to determine why no limonene is being produced.  
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The growth curves show two important things. The naturally-occurring limonene synthase shows a growth defect in comparison to the synthesized codon-optimized limonene synthase. More notably, the pBbA5c with <i>ispA</i> greatly inhibits cell growth. A possible explanation for this is the toxicity of FPP, as the pBbA5c-GPPS did not inhibit cell growth in comparison to the pBbA5c-ispA. Since <i>ispA</i> is native to <i> E. coli </i>, it should be translated more efficiently than the other enzymes in the mevalonate pathway, including GPPS. To further pursue this hypothesis it would be beneficial to insert GPPS and <i>ispA</i> into the Translation Coupling Cassette (TCC) and compare their translation efficiency. We are focusing on GPPS as the issue as our TCC research shows that the codon-optimized limonene synthase is being translated (See TCC page for further explanation). However, successful translation does not show that it is functional in the cell. This will be be assessed by <i>in vitro</i> assay, as described on the TCC project page. With this additional data we can work to further improve the production capacity of our strain.  
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<p align="left" class="classtheinlinecontent" font-size:20px;><strong>Reference: </strong></p>
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<ul>“Engineering a mevalonate pathway in Escherichia coli for production of terpenoids”</ul>
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<ul>Keasling et al., 2003</ul>
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<ul>“Engineering microbial biofuel tolerance and export using efflux pumps”</ul>
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<ul><b>Dunlop</b> <b><i>et. al,</b></i> 2011.Engineering microbial biofuel tolerance and export using efflux pumps. Molecular Systems Biology. 7:487:487
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<ul> Dunlop et al., 2011</ul>
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<ul>“Biosynthesis of plant isoprenoids: perspectives for microbial engineering”</ul>       
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<ul><b>Kirby</b> <b><i>et. al,</b></i> 2009. Biosynthesis of plant isoprenoids: perspectives for microbial engineering. Annual Review of Plant Biology. 60:335-355
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<ul>Keasling et al., 2009</ul>
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<ul>“Monoterpene biosynthesis in lemon” </ul>
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<ul><b>Lücker</b> <b><i>et. al,</b></i> 2002. Monoterpene biosynthesis in lemon (citrus lemon). European Journal of Biochemistry. 269:13:3160-3171
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<ul>Lücker et al., 2002</ul>
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<ul><b>Martin</b> <b><i>et. al,</b></i> 2003. Engineering a mevalonate pathway in <i>Escherichia coli</i> for production of terpenoids. Nature Biotechnology. 21:7:796-802
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Latest revision as of 00:43, 4 October 2012


Engineering a limonene production pathway of E.coli


Why Produce Limonene?


Limonene is a 10-carbon monoterpene found in the oils of citrus fruits. It is used as a cleaning agent, solvent, and food additive, and recent research has shown it has potential anti-cancer applications. Limonene also possesses the chemical properties of an ideal biofuel; its low freezing point, combustibility, and high energy density make it a potential jet fuel replacement. Currently, industrial production is restricted to direct extraction from citrus fruits, preventing collection in quantities large enough to be useful as a biofuel. Other organisms, such as Escherichia coli , could be used to produce limonene more effectively and efficiently.




The Mevalonate Pathway


The mevalonate pathway, found in plants and fungi, produces 3-isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP) from acetyl-CoA. IPP and DMAPP are the building blocks of the isoprenoids, a group of organic molecules with a wide array of functions. These compounds are normally synthesized in small amounts, preventing large-scale production; by moving the mevalonate pathway into E. coli this limitation can be circumvented. The Keasling lab at UC-Berkeley used this approach to produce the isoprenoid amorphadiene, which can be converted into the antimalarial drug artemisinin. This breakthrough brought the price of artemisinin down dramatically for treatment in the developing world.





We have constructed a strain containing the mevalonate pathway, a codon-optimized geranyl diphosphate synthase (GPPS), and a codon-optimized limonene synthase gene. The plasmid pBba5c contains the genes for the mevalonate pathway under a lactose-inducible promoter. The plasmid originally contained the unnecessary ispA gene; we used the Gibson cloning method to replace ispA with the GPPS gene. The resulting plasmid, pBba5c-GPPS, should theoretically allow higher production of limonene.



The Production Assay


Five milliliter cultures of each strain (listed below) were grown overnight at 37°C in LB, then normalized to an OD600 of 1 and diluted 1:100 into 40 mL cultures of LB. These were then grown to an OD600 of 0.2 and the promoters in the pBba5C vector induced with 1 mM IPTG. A 10 mL overlay of dodecane was used to trap any limonene produced. These cultures were then grown for 18 hours, centrifuged, and 1mL of the dodecane overlay diluted in ethyl acetate and analyzed by GC/MS.



Strain Purpose
pBba5c + J23102-RFP J23102 promoter only as a negative control
pBba5c + J23102-LIMS1 Production strain
pBba5c + J23102-CO_LIMS1 Production Strain
pBba5c + pTRC-ADS pTRC-ADS is the amorphadiene synthase
pBba5c-GPPS + J23102-RFP Negative control
pBba5c-GPPS + J23102-LIMS1 Production strain
pBba5c-GPPS + J23102-CO_LIMS1 Production strain
pBba5c-GPPS + J23102-pTRC-ADS Testing the GPPS-ispA swap with gibson


In figures A, C, and D, the large black limonene peak is a doped limonene standard included as a positive control for the GC/MS assay. The blue and purple lines cannot be seen, because they are along the baseline; i.e. no limonene is being produced. J23102 (empty) in figures A, B, and D is the promoter run as a negative control. Figure B demonstrates the decrease in amorphadiene between the regular pBbA5c and the pBbA5c with the GPPS swapped in for the ispA gene.



As seen in this GC/MS data, limonene was not produced. There was a small peak located where limonene was expected, but this peak also appeared in the empty promoter strain as well. In order to the strain's production capacity, we replaced the limonene synthase with amorphadiene synthase. The ispA gene produces farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP), the precursor to amorphadiene. Both the pBbA5c with ispA and GPPS were used to troubleshoot the mevalonate pathway by attempting to generate amorphadiene. In the GC/MS data, both strains created amorphadiene when amorphadiene synthase was included in the strain. Thus, we surmise that the mevalonate pathway is functioning correctly. The pBba5C-GPPS strain with amorphadiene synthase should not create amorphadiene, as ispA has been replaced with GPPS; however, because the E. coli genome naturally contains , some amount may still be produced. The amorphadiene peak associated with the pBbA5c-GPPS was much smaller than the peak generated by the pBbA5c-ispA construct, as expected. However, this does not prove that the GPPS is working as anticipated.



The Conclusion


The data shows that the mevalonate pathway is functioning correctly. This indicates that the problem is either limonene synthase or GPPS. To further assess the production strains, a growth curve was run to determine if cell viability was being affected by the synthetic pathway.





Growth curves are organized either by base mevalonate vector or by version of limonene synthase. pBAD33 mimics pBbA5c, acting as an empty vector. Four replicates of each strain were grown on a 96-well plate; error bars indicate standard deviation.



The growth curves show two important things. The naturally-occurring limonene synthase shows a growth defect in comparison to the synthesized codon-optimized limonene synthase. More notably, the pBbA5c with ispA greatly inhibits cell growth. A possible explanation for this is the toxicity of FPP, as the pBbA5c-GPPS did not inhibit cell growth in comparison to the pBbA5c-ispA. Since ispA is native to E. coli , it should be translated more efficiently than the other enzymes in the mevalonate pathway, including GPPS. To further pursue this hypothesis it would be beneficial to insert GPPS and ispA into the Translation Coupling Cassette (TCC) and compare their translation efficiency. We are focusing on GPPS as the issue as our TCC research shows that the codon-optimized limonene synthase is being translated (See TCC page for further explanation). However, successful translation does not show that it is functional in the cell. This will be be assessed by in vitro assay, as described on the TCC project page. With this additional data we can work to further improve the production capacity of our strain.

References:


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