Nobody is Perfect – Genetic Modification of Thermophilic Bacteria

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GMOs or genetically modified organisms have been a major topic of debate in recent years. Even though some people believe they are dangerous, all myths have been dispelled and, in addition to improving the properties of the organism itself, they have been shown to help the environment in more ways than simply providing nutrition for more people – reducing excess CO2, using fewer chemicals and fuels during the farming process, preventing soil erosion improving soil health, and saving water. GMOs also include micro-organisms, which are mainly used in biomedical applications. We propose a combination of genetic modification of bacteria to help the environment, but this time directly linked to a major environmental problem of our time – plastic pollution. Closely related to this issue are the bacteria's own metabolites – polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA). These intracellularly produced granules have attracted particular attention due to their properties similar to petrochemical plastics and the attributes of being biobased, non-toxic, and biodegradable. Apart from the aforementioned sphere, their use is particularly promising in the field of biomedicine (biocontrol agents, drug carriers, biodegradable implants, tissue engineering, memory enhancers, and anticancer agents). Our two hot candidates are thermophilic bacteria of the genus Aneurinibacillus, which have recently been identified by our group as significant producers of unique PHA copolymers revealing extraordinary material properties, and Caldimonas thermodepolymerans, a moderately thermophilic bacteria that is capable of accumulating a significant amount of poly3-hydroxybutyrate P(3HB) from lignocellulose relevant sugars. However, Aneurinibacilli are extremely sensitive to even small modifications when cultivated and they also form endospores, P(3HB) itself as a homopolymer does not excel in industrial applications. Since no one is perfect, our vision is to connect these two (already) great worlds into one "Simply the best".

thermophilic bacteria, polyhydroxyalkanoates, genetic modification

ŠLOSÁROVÁ, K.; BUCHTÍKOVÁ, I.; SEDLÁŘ, K.; DVOŘÁK, P.; OBRUČA, S.

12. 9. 2024

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