Tuesday, July 28, 2009 - 3:00 PM
S89

Taking advantage of the molecular, metabolic, and process engineering properties of E. coli for heterologous natural product biosynthesis

Blaine A. Pfeifer, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Tufts University, 4 Colby Street, Medford, MA 02155

Heterologous biosynthesis has emerged as an alternative approach to accessing the medicinal properties of natural products.  Prompted by the limitations of native hosts, heterologous natural product production efforts begin with the transfer of the required genetic pathway(s) to a new host.  Reconstituted biosynthesis then offers the possibility of a new natural product production process coupled to and as a result of the favorable engineering properties associated with the new host system.  This presentation will focus upon E. coli as platform host for the heterologous production of therapeutic natural products.  In particular, research related to the heterologous transfer and reconstitution of genetic pathways will be accompanied by a description of efforts to optimize natural product biosynthesis.  Special emphasis will be placed upon leveraging the knowledge and biological properties of E. coli for engineering-based improvements to heterologous natural product biosynthesis.