한빛사 인터뷰
1. Can you please briefly summarize the paper?
Bio-based long-chain dicarboxylic acids (LCDAs) are in high demand in the polymer industry. These compounds have diverse applications as building blocks for polymers with distinct features, which lead to a fast-growing global LCDA market. However, bio-based LCDA production is currently limited in Europe as established processes are using the pathogenic yeast, Candida tropicalis. Therefore, this study aimed to establish safe and sustainable LCDA production using a non-pathogenic, oleaginous and industrially well-established yeast, Starmerella bombicola. The metabolic network was successfully controlled to channel fatty acids from rapeseed oil into the ω-oxidation for the high production of LCDAs. Importantly, the engineered yeast strain produced 5.5 g/l of total LCDAs in shake flasks. Furthermore, pH optimization of the bioprocess resulted in a significant improvement of the total LCDA titer up to 117.8 g/l. The outcomes strongly demonstrate that S. bombicola can serve as a safe and efficient platform microorganism for industrial LCDA production.
2. Can you please tell us the main difficulties you had in the laboratory work and how you overcame them?
There is no difficulty I have working as a postdoctoral researcher at the BioPort group, Centre for Synthetic Biology, Ghent University, Belgium.
3. Please introduce your laboratory, university or organization to bio-researchers in Korea.
Ghent University is an internationally renowned, open, pluralistic and socially engaged university in Belgium. The university’s credo is ‘Dare to Think’. It was founded in 1817 and currently has 11 faculties composed of 85 faculty departments, offering high-quality courses in every one of their scientific disciplines, each inspired by innovative research with 50,000 students and 15,500 employees, and it offers over 200 educational programs, including 69 English-taught master’s programs. In addition, Ghent University has a global campus in Incheon, South Korea, offering 3 Bachelor programs: Bachelor of Environmental Technology, Bachelor of Food Technology and Bachelor of Molecular Biotechnology. (More information can be found at www.ugent.be/en/ghentuniv)
The Centre for Synthetic Biology (CSB) in Biotechnology department at Ghent University, has 3 research groups (ENCA, MEMO, BioPort) with a common goal of developing new processes for the production of value-added compounds, with an emphasis on tailor-made carbohydrates, flavonoids and glycolipids. The Centre for Synthetic Biology employs 3 professors, 3 coordinators, 1 business developer, 13 postdocs, 2 researchers, 6 external professors, 33 PhD students, and 2 artists and designers. In addition, state-of-the-art infrastructure is available for the processing of (engineered) microbes and enzymes, and the identification of (new) products in a high-throughput fashion. Examples of dedicated equipment include a custom-made robotic platform (for DNA manipulations, pipetting, colony picking, screening, incubation, etc.) that was obtained through Hercules-financing, and a coupled HPLC-system (4 channels with automated injection) that is internally financed through service analyses for industry. Together with a range of complementary tools (multiwell readers, microfluidic devices, etc.), this infrastructure is organized in one of UGent's new Core Facilities, named "HTS for SynBio", and made available to other researchers. (More information can be found at csb.mystrikingly.com/#home)
The research group, the Unit for Enzyme and Carbohydrate Technology (ENCA), led by Prof. dr. Tom Desmet, focuses on the conversion of renewable resources (plant biomass) into special sugars and derivatives by advancing carbohydrate biotechnology, biocatalytic synthesis and enzyme engineering. Healthier products with improved properties are needed but their synthesis is often challenging and a hurdle for further exploitation. To solve this problem, the research group creates tailor-made enzymes by state-of-the-art engineering techniques to combine strict selectivity with maximal stability. The ultimate goal always is to develop sustainable processes with minimal impact on the environment. To that end, different enzyme classes are recruited, from hydrolases and transferases to isomerases and oxidoreductases. (More information can be found at biocatalysis.mystrikingly.com)
The research of the Metabolic Engineering (MEMO) group, led by Prof. dr. ir. Marjan De Mey, is situated at the forefront of industrial biotechnology, metabolic engineering and synthetic biology. The research group focuses on the development of standardized, automatable, and generic tools and technologies and the creation of fundamental knowledge on key metabolic processes, envisioning a considerable reduction in the cost of biotechnological production processes and the acceleration of their development. The ultimate goal is to apply these innovative tools, technologies and knowledge for the development of sustainable bioprocesses for the production of speciality carbohydrates, natural products and biomaterials. (More information can be found at csb-memo.mystrikingly.com)
The research of Microbial Transport System Engineering (BioPort) group, led by Prof. dr. ir. Inge Van Bogaert, focuses on intensifying industrial biotechnological processes by understanding and exploiting the mechanisms of import and export of microbial cells. In industry, a noticeable shift is occurring, transitioning from conventional chemical processes to more sustainable biobased circular production systems. Microbial cell factories stand as pivotal players in the emerging circular bioeconomy. Despite their significance, these cell factories still require substantial optimization efforts. Notably, the exploration of transport systems within these cells represents a relatively untapped yet promising field for further investigation. Therefore, the research group advances transport engineering as platform technology through transport mining, channel engineering, metabolic flux engineering and C1 transport engineering. In addition, the research group works on transport engineering to increase productivity of long-chain dicarboxylic acids, sophorolipids and fatty acids. (More information can be found at csb-bioport.mystrikingly.com)
4. Please tell us your experiences and your thoughts related to research activities abroad.
I have spent many years abroad studying and working in Europe for my professional career. My internship at the Wendisch Lab (Prof. Dr. Volker. F. Wendisch), Genetics of Prokaryotes, University of Bielefeld, Germany, was a valuable experience to learn the principles of metabolic engineering and techniques for engineering Corynebacterium glutamicum to improve the production of putrescine and GABA. Additionally, I was exposed to a working environment with international students and scientists, which allowed me to learn and develop new ideas. To further my studies in Biotechnology, I enrolled in a master’s program at Heinrich-Heine-University Dusseldorf, Germany. During the master’s courses, I joined the institute for Microbiology (Prof. Dr. Michael Feldbrugge), at Heinrich-Heine-University Dusseldorf to study the basidiomycete fungus Ustilago maydis for biotechnological applications. The master’s program was well-designed, offering students the opportunity to take courses at Forschungszentrum Julich, Germany, where I learned cutting-edge technologies in Biotechnology. I was fortunate to join the research group of Prof. Dr. Julia Frunzke (Institute of Bio- and Geosciences 1, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Julich), where I worked on constructing biosensors and genetic toggle switches for application in C. glutamicum for master’s thesis.
Afterward, I returned to the institute for Microbiology, Heinrich-Heine-University Dusseldorf for doctorate and became a member of BioSC Focus Lab for the CombiCom project (Combinatorial creation of structural diversity for novel high-value compounds; www.biosc.de/combicom_en). With the scientific knowledge I gained in metabolic engineering during my previous studies and through active collaboration with members of the BioSC Focus Lab at Heinrich-Heine-University Dusseldorf, Forschungszentrum Julich, RWTH Aachen University, the University of Bonn, I successfully established U. maydis as a novel basidiomycete platform organism for the production of plant and fungal sesquiterpenoids. Additionally, I had the opportunity to study fungal secondary metabolites and collaborate with many renowned professors and experts in Fungal Biology to discover interesting bioactive compounds in fungi. Throughout my education, I participated in numerous seminars and conferences, where I had the chance to communicate with professors and industry partners.
Currently, I am a postdoctoral researcher at the BioPort group (Prof. dr. ir. Inge Van Bogaert), Centre for Synthetic Biology, Ghent University, Belgium. My research focuses on developing a sustainable production process for existing and new LCDA building blocks, tailored to selected applications, in collaboration with partners at the University of Antwerp and VITO. This study is financially supported by the Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship agency (VLAIO) by means of the WODCA project running within the MOONSHOT innovation program (www.moonshotflanders.be/en/projects/wodca). For industrial applications, the WODCA project team actively communicates with advisory board members.
Since the beginning of my studies in Biotechnology, I have been fortunate to learn from many professors, scientists, collaborators, industrial partners, colleagues and friends, and to work together with them. I am always grateful for the wonderful opportunities they have given me and for their continued support.
5. Can you provide some advice for younger scientists who have plans to study abroad?
Going abroad to study and work with people from different countries will be a wonderful experience. It’s important to ask questions to deepen your understanding and share ideas. Be sure to appreciate the opportunities you receive and make time to enjoy yourself along the way. These moments will create lasting memories. Most importantly, stay healthy wherever you go. I wish you all the best.
6. Future plan?
I plan to become a research group leader to conduct more engaging research and educate the next generation of scientists in Biotechnology. In this way, I can give back what I have received from many professors throughout my education and career development. My future research will focus on bridging the gap between academic research and industrial applications. It is often the case that academic research, while valuable for generating new ideas and discoveries, fails to progress into industrial applications. I foresee that Synthetic Biology will become increasingly attractive to industries for sustainable production, in line with Bioeconomy principles. Therefore, collaboration with industrial partners will be essential to effectively execute the DBTL (Design, Build, Test, Learn) cycle. Bringing an industry perspective into academic research for student education, while also integrating advanced scientific knowledge from academia, will create a synergistic effect that drives long-term development in both Synthetic Biology and industrial business. Furthermore, as a group leader, I will actively collaborate with global research teams to contribute to advancements in Biotechnology.
7. Do you have anything else that you would like to tell Korean scientists and students?
There are many outstanding Korean scientists around the world, and I sincerely respect their tremendous contributions to science. I look forward to having numerous opportunities to collaborate with them in the future. It will be a wonderful experience.
#Synthetic Biology
# Yeast fermentation
# Bioeconomy
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