A new method to increase efficiency in biocatalysis has been discovered by scientists in the UK.
The food and chemical industries use biocatalysis to make products that are not accessible by chemical synthesis. It can be used to make pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals, or food ingredients.
A major challenge in biocatalysis is that the most commonly used microbes, such as the non-pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli, are not necessarily good at forming biofilms, the growth promoting ecosystems that form a protective micro- environment around communities of microbes.
Genetic engineering is usually used to solve this problem.
One of the most widely studied micro-organisms and commonly used in biocatalysis, the E. coli, has a library of synthetic polymers identified by the researchers.
This screening used a strain of E. coli that is widely used in fundamental science to study genes and is known to be poor at forming biofilms.
There are chemistries that are best suited to stimulating biofilm formation. The equivalent aliphatic polymers did not perform as well as the hydrophobic ones.
The researchers looked at the biocatalytic activity of the two strains and found that MC4100 was more active than PHL644.
The studies looked at how the polymers stimulated the increased activity. According to the research, the polymers act as coagulants, stimulating a natural process called Flocculation that leads to the formation of colonies ofbacteria.
The best performing chemistries and polymers that increase the biocatalytic activity of E coli were identified. This has led to the creation of a small library of synthetic polymers that can be used to increase the growth of biofilms. To the best of our knowledge, there are no methods that can be used to promote the growth of beneficialbacteria.
Gene editing is costly, time-consuming, non-reversible and requires a skilled person in microbiology to do it. This approach has an impact on other areas. A similar strategy could be used to identify candidate polymers for other organisms, and develop new applications in food science, agriculture, bioremediation or health.
A patent application has been filed for the method and the university is looking for commercial partners to license it.
More information: Pavan Adoni et al, Polymer-Induced Biofilms for Enhanced Biocatalysis, Materials Horizons (2022). DOI: 10.1039/D2MH00607C Journal information: Materials Horizons
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