WORK PACKAGE 3
About WP3
Biological Toolbox for designing efficacious catalytic agents
Objectives:
-
Set up standardized pipelines for assembly of catalytic microbial communities with mutual metabolic dependencies for distributed biocatalysis;
-
Design and implementation of a platform for IA-guided and MBRguided evolutionary engineering of strains and consortia to user’s specifications;
-
Genetic tools for controlled genetic diversification of strains and populations through induction of conditional mutagenesis devices and promiscuous HGT;
-
Formulation of single-strain of multi-strain catalysts in physical formats (e.g. ectopic adhesins and 3D printing) amenable to long-term preservation and easy extensive spreading in target sites;
-
Genetic, supramolecular engineering and evolutionary tools for obtaining target-specific and self-sustaining biodegradative systems;
-
Development of a microbial electrochemical platform for steering bioremediation.
Description of work:
WP3 develops advanced microbial and enzymatic tools to enhance pollutant biodegradation. The work includes creating stable multi-strain consortia, implementing AI-supported laboratory evolution systems, and designing genetic devices that induce controlled genomic variability. The team engineers improved pollutant-degrading enzymes through directed evolution and integrates them into optimized bacterial hosts.
WP3 also produces application-ready biocatalytic formats such as microbial granules, 3D-printed biofilms, electro-microbial systems, and nano-engineered redox biocatalysts. These innovations provide robust, adaptable solutions for effective bioremediation across diverse environments.