Team:ULB-Brussels

In synthetic biology, one of the main issues scientists and engineers must tackle is biochemical pathways optimization. In fact, it is often difficult to predict in which positions the genes of the pathway must be assembled in order to efficiently produce the desired molecule.

In this project, we are going to develop an exceptional natural tool that could be used to optimize bio-production pathways: the integron. Integrons are genetic platforms which contain (re)movable gene cassettes. These integrons are mostly known to carry resistances to antibiotics. They are flanked with recombination sites which allow gene shuffling inside the integron thanks to a specific enzyme: the integrase.

As a proof of concept, we are going to produce two antibiotics: Microcin C7 and Microcin B17. The first one inhibits a tRNA synthetase, the second a gyrase. These two antibiotic operons encompass respectively 6 and 7 genes.

Two bacteria possessing the integron containing the antibiotics production gene cassettes, the integrase and a low resistance to the opposite antibiotic will be put in competition. With the integrase, we could change the natural order of the genes in order to optimize production. In parallel, this competition experiment will be modeled.