REAL TIME MONITORING OF MICROBIAL ENZYMATIC PATHWAYS
First Claim
1. A recombinant nucleic acid molecule comprising a transcription regulatory nucleotide sequence operatively linked with a nucleotide sequence encoding a self-contained light-emitting reporter, wherein the transcription regulatory nucleotide sequence regulates expression of a gene that signals production of a target product of a fermentative or synthetic pathway in a cell.
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Abstract
This invention provides compositions and methods for monitoring and regulating the production of a target product of a biochemical pathway in an organism, such as butanol. A gene encoding a light-emitting reporter molecule, such as luciferase, is operatively linked with a transcription regulatory nucleotide sequence that regulates transcription of an enzyme in the pathway that signals the rate of production of the target product, such as butanol dehyrogenase. When a microorganism is transfected with such a reporter construct and cultured, the reporter is expressed contemporaneously with the enzyme. The amount of light produced by the reporter indicates amount of enzyme being produced which, in turn, signals the amount of target product being produced. When the reporter is measured in real time, it provides information that can be used to regulate culture conditions and to optimize production of the target product.
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Citations
52 Claims
- 1. A recombinant nucleic acid molecule comprising a transcription regulatory nucleotide sequence operatively linked with a nucleotide sequence encoding a self-contained light-emitting reporter, wherein the transcription regulatory nucleotide sequence regulates expression of a gene that signals production of a target product of a fermentative or synthetic pathway in a cell.
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9. The molecule of claim 9 wherein the end product is acetone, ethanol, or butanol.
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24. A cell comprising a self-contained reporter construct that indicates when a synthetic or fermentative pathway has been induced or inhibited so as to affect the concentration of an target product of the pathway.
- 25. A cell comprising a recombinant nucleic acid molecule comprising a transcription regulatory nucleotide sequence operatively linked with a nucleotide sequence encoding a self-contained light-emitting reporter, wherein the transcription regulatory nucleotide sequence regulates expression of a gene that signals production of a target product of a fermentative or synthetic pathway in the cell.
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32. A culture comprising cells that produce a target product of a synthetic or fermentative pathway in commercially valuable quantities and a light emitting reporter.
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33. A method comprising:
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(a) culturing cells that comprise a recombinant nucleic acid molecule comprising a transcription regulatory nucleotide sequence operatively linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding a light-emitting reporter, wherein the transcription regulatory nucleotide sequence regulates expression of a gene that signals the production of a target product of a fermentative or synthetic pathway in the cell, whereby emission of light by the reporter signals production of the target product; (b) measuring the light emitted from the reporter in the culture; and (c) changing culture conditions to adjust production of the target product based on the production signaled by the emitted light. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A method comprising:
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(a) culturing a recombinant cell under culture conditions to produce a target product, wherein the cell comprises a reporter construct that produces a light-based signal, the intensity of which indicates the level of production of the target product; (b) monitoring continuously over time the intensity of the signal in the culture at a plurality of different times to indicate the level of production of the target product at those times; and (c) altering the culture conditions in response to changes in target product production to set target product production to a desired level.
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45. Software comprising:
code that receives information about the state of a cell or a cell culture, code that determines whether and how culture conditions should be changed to optimize target production and code that transmits instructions on changing the culture conditions - View Dependent Claims (46)
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47. A system comprising:
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a) a container for culturing cells, b) a photon detector for detecting light in a cell culture in the container; and c) a computer controlled apparatus changes culture conditions in response to light detected by the detector. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50)
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51. A composition comprising substantially of butanol, and containing trace components from amaranth, or sweet sorghum, or both, and substantially free of petroleum by-products.
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52. A business method comprising:
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a) creating a joint venture between at least a first company that produces bioengineered cells that make a biofuel and a second company engaged in oil refining b) running the joint venture wherein; i) the first company provides a license to proprietary bioengineered bacterial strains that produce a biofuel; ii) the second company sponsors research and development at the joint venture directed to biofuel production; and iii) the second company purchases biofuel produced by the joint venture.
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Specification