Cell factory design: unlocking the Multi-Objective Stochastic meTabolic game (MOST)

The goal of this project is to develop a detailed understanding of microbial metabolism through computational modelling and therefore to guide rational design of microbes (i.e., identification of gene knockouts, up/down-regulation targets) into cell factories as a sustainable alternative to petrochemical production routes for low-carbon production of value-added molecules, such as recombinant protein and human milk ingredients. Computational simulation of microbial metabolic activities combined with experimental validation studies will provide new insights into microbial systems by making reliable predictions of the flow of various chemical substances in cell metabolism, which will be able to direct the design of cells by regulating cell's energy and carbon flow towards the synthesis of molecules of interests. In turn this will lead to the development of a new computational tool for effective cell factory design that maximises microbes' production performance and accelerates their deployment in biomanufacturing industry for the transition to a biological economy.

Important outcomes of the project include not only new knowledge and understanding of microbial systems but also the development of a set of bioinformatics tools available for studying cell physiology and designing productive microbial systems for engineering biology applications.