Preučevanje biosinteze eritromicina s proteomskimi orodji (Slovene)

Biosynthesis of natural polyketides, including numerous antibiotics has been studied intensively for more than 40 years. Despite of that mechanisms of of biosynthesis of several compounds remain poorly understood. High-producing strains used in industrial bioprocesses are result of laborious selections, which can last for number of years or even decades. Different random mutagenesis approaches have been applied, such as chemical and UV mutagenesis. Unfortunatelly these approaches do not provide insight into mechanisms that govern such raise in metabolites production, and offer no useful information for the rational targeted strain improvement approaches. In the project a new innovative methodological approach was introduced for proteome comparison of a wild type and a high-producing industrial strain. Such systemic approaches to analysis of metabolic pathways are still very limited in the scientific literature which make the research project on systemic proteomic approach a very important contribution to the systemic biology and holistic understanding of key drivers in metabolism of also other industrial high-producing strains. In the scope of this project we have established that the proteomic approach enables the identification of key features of industrial strains, which can be successfully used in further development of industrial strains.

The project was a continuation of already fruitful collaboration between the Biotechnical faculty of the University of Ljubljana and biotechnological company Acies Bio and at the same time a great start point for new shared applications. It enabled a transfer of knowledge and thus integrated the Slovenian academic and industrial sector. On the basis of the project Acies Bio began using proteomic methods in improving industrial strains, which can significantly increase long-term competitiveness of the company in international markets contract research. The project was also a great opportunity for educating and training of young researchers from the Biotechnical faculty as well as from Acies Bio. Two students of biotechnology were involved in the project work in the frame of their MSc thesis and two Ph.D. students will defend their Ph.D. thesis in the coming years.