Synthetic polymers offer means to bypass gene editing for biocatalysis

Biocatalysis is essential in many industrial processes within the chemicals and food sectors where chemical synthesis cannot be employed.

These synthetic polymers may bypass the need to introduce the traits for biofilm formation through gene editing, which is costly, time-consuming, non-reversible and requires a skilled person in microbiology to implement it. 

Microbes are utilised as well as cells or enzymes but the most frequently favoured such as non-pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli, are not necessarily good at forming biofilms necessary for a protective micro-environment around communities of microbes that increases resilience and productivity.  

The solution currently favoured, gene editing, is effective but takes both time and expense, explain Doctors Tim Overton and Francisco Fernandez Trillo, respectively from Birmingham University’s schools of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry.

Their solution, outlined in their paper published in Materials Horizons was to screen synthetic polymers for their ability to induce biofilm formation in E. coli.  

Applying it to the MC4100 strain which is notably poor at forming biofilms, they compared it to a good biofilm former, the PHL644 isogenic strain obtained through evolution.   

The scientists noted that hydrophobic polymers outperformed mildly cationic polymers, with aromatic and heteroaromatic derivatives performing much better than the equivalent aliphatic polymers.

When the researchers monitored how the biomass and biocatalytic activity of both strains incubated the presence of these polymers, they found that MC4100 matched and even outperformed PHL644. 

Fernandez-Trillo, now based at Spain’s Coruna University, said: “This has resulted in a small library of synthetic polymers that increase biofilm formation when used as simple additives to microbial culture.  To the best of our knowledge, currently there are no methods that provide this simplicity and versatility when promoting biofilms for beneficial bacteria.” 

He added that synthetic polymers might bypass the for gene editing, which is not only costly and time-consuming, but also non-reversible and dependent on access to skilled microbiologists. 

Added Fernandez-Trillo: “A similar strategy could be employed to identify candidate polymers for other microorganisms such as probiotics or yeasts, and develop new applications in food science, agriculture, bioremediation or health.” 

University of Birmingham Enterprise has filed a patent application for the method and polymer additives and is seeking commercial licensing partners.   

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