We are running out of oil and the climate is changing drastically due to the emission of polluting gases such as CO 2 . But what if CO 2 were a resource, rather than a wasteful pollutant; and might even replace oil? We aspire to create a bio-based economy – one that meets its energy and production demands by leveraging biotechnology [1]. We can genetically engineer bacteria to produce a compound we need. This is what we call a bacterial ‘cell factory’. Meet CYANOFACTORY , a cyanobacterium that stably and efficiently produces fumarate.
Our Goal
We use the cyanobacterium Synechocystis PCC6803, a photosynthetic model organism of which the genetic toolbox is rapidly expanding.
Click here for a live feed with our Synechocystis cultivators.
Synechocystis
Fumarate is a multifaceted acid that is used as a plastic precursor, an additive for the food industry and a drug against multiple sclerosis and psoriasis.
Click here to see what we did with Fumarate.
Fumarate