CyanoFactory, a European consortium to develop technologies needed to advance cyanobacteria as chassis for production of chemicals and fuels

Abstract

[EN] CyanoFactory,Design, construction and demonstration of solar biofuel production using novel (photo)synthetic cellfactories, was an R&D project developed in response to the European Commission FP7-ENERGY-2012-1 call "Future EmergingTechnologies" and the need for significant advances in both new science and technologies to convert solar energy into a fuel. CyanoFactory was an example of "purpose driven" research and developmentwith identified scientific goals and creation of new technologies. The present overview highlights significantoutcomes of the project, three years after its successful completion.The scientific progress of CyanoFactory involved:(i)development of a ToolBox for cyanobacterial synthetic biology; (ii) construction of DataWarehouse/Bioinformatics web-based capacities and functions; (iii) improve-ment of chassis growth, functionality and robustness; (iv) introduction of custom designed genetic constructsinto cyanobacteria, (v) improvement of photosynthetic efficiency towards hydrogen production; (vi) biosafety mechanisms; (vii) analyses of the designed cyanobacterial cells to identify bottlenecks with suggestions on further improvements;(viii) metabolic modelling of engineered cells;(ix)development of an efficient laboratory scale photobio reactor unit; and(x) the assembly and experimental performance assessment of a larger (1350L) outdoor flat panel photobioreactor system during two seasons.CyanoFactory - Custom design and purpose construction of microbial cells for the production of desired products using synthetic biology aimed to go beyond conventional paths to pursue innovative and high impact goals. CyanoFactory brought together ten leading European partners (universities, research organizations andenterprises) with a common goal: to develop the future technologies inSynthetic biology and Advanced photo-bioreactors.