APPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY:
- Biotech and pharmaceutical companies
- Commodity chemicals
- Potential to improve yield, titer, process efficiency and process economics for companies producing a variety of materials, chemicals and fuels in yeast cell factories
ADVANTAGES:
- Useful in any media composition. Has value in both systems that produce high value compounds and low value compounds
- Output is much more stable than other genetic constructs
- Contains control system to prevent premature activation
- Superior to constitutive expression
- Permanent DNA change, reducing the potential of mutations that would break the circuit
- Potential to improve yield, titer, process efficiency and process economics for companies producing a variety of materials, chemicals and fuels in yeast cell factories
ABSTRACT:
Researchers at the Joint BioEnergy Institute, managed by Berkeley Lab, have developed a technology that uses the yeast mating signaling pathway for inducing expression of a gene of interest. The gene transitions from the “OFF” to the “ON” state via this cell density dependent genetic circuit. The technology offers significant advantages over constitutive expression which is not always optimal for production because it can potentially be toxic as well as lead to growth arrest if expressed constitutively and during the early stage of growth. In addition, the output from this technology is more stable than other genetic constructs.
Specifically, this invention rewires of the yeast mating factor in combination with DNA recombinases by inducing a response in which an alpha factor binds to the Ste2 receptor, activating the FUS1 promoter through a MAPK-mediated response pathway. The FUS1 promoter controls a Cre recombinase, stopping expression of the gene. As a result, the DNA is changed permanently resulting in a circuit, effectively reducing potential mutations that could break the circuit.
DEVELOPMENT STAGE: Proven principle
STATUS: Patent pending. Available for licensing or collaborative research.