Achievement

IGERT Trainee David Byrne in Byrne D.K., Gardner T.S., & Segrè D. (2009, February). Metabolic optimality and trade-offs under combinatorial genetic and nutrient modifications. GTL Contractor-Grantee Workshop VII USDA-DOE Plant Feedstock Genomics for Bioenergy Awardee Workshop 2009, North Bethesda, MD.

Metabolic engineering in microbial hosts for the production of renewable chemicals such as lactic acid, biohydrogen, and biodiesel has received considerable attention in recent years. It is of interest to understand how metabolic pathways may be modulated to increase the proportion of energy diverted for industrial use. A computational framework that uses models of microbial metabolism was developed to design genetic and nutrient programs that optimize industrial output. Optimal predictions showed significant improvements in Escherichia coli lactic acid synthesis and Shewanella oneidensis reducing power and biohydrogen generation.