S77: Strategies to overcome biocatalyst inhibition

Overcoming biocatalyst inhibition, whether by the desired metabolic product, substrate or contaminants in the growth medium, is a significant challenge in metabolic engineering.  Understanding the mechanism of the inhibition can enable rational modification of the biocatalyst for increased tolerance.  This talk describes two complementary approaches to understanding the mechanism of inhibition: transcriptome analysis of the inhibitory response and reverse engineering of strains that have been evolved for increased tolerance.  Examples involving short-chain fatty acids, furfural and reactive nitrogen oxide species will be discussed.