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Synthetic Biology and Food
Vítor Martins dos Santos
Systems & Synthetic Biology Research Group at the
Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research,
Braunschweig, Germany
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Disclaimer: Synthetic Biology in the Food field is not
about square tomatoes…
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….nor about magic food or ingredients!
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Its is about helping us to more effectively
promote health and nutrition
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How?
Up to a large extent, by bringing the ethos, methodologies
and expertise within the various disciplines in Synthetic
Biology, much as in the applications to:
White Biotechnology (Panke), Environment (de Lorenzo),
Energy (Amyris) and Health (Henney, Notka, Jerala)
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Some of the applications of Synthetic Biology
in the food field
1. Metabolites, health products and processing aids
2. Probiotics, microbial communities
3. Plants, plant-derived products and feedstocks
4. Downstream processing of (food-)waste
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1 .Metabolites, health compounds, processing aids
• Nutraceuticals
• Food ingredients (including fermentation
products)
• Metabolites, enzymes
• Food preservatives
• Flavors and fragrances
• Biosensors (eg. artificial nose)
• Etc.
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Nutraceuticals
•vitamins & supplements
•resveratrol (antioxidant from red grape products)
•soluble dietary fiber products (e g. psyllium seed husk for
reducing hypercholesterolemia)
•glyconutrients (specific carbohydrates and sugars)
• sulforaphane (in broccoli, as a cancer preventative)
•flavonoids (alpha-linolenic acid from Chia seeds, beta-
carotene from marigold petals, anthocyanins from berries)
•isoflavonoids (from clover or soy, related to arterial
health)
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•Example food preservative: Nisin
natural antimicrobial agent (peptide) with
activity against a wide variety of undesirable food borne (pathogenic) bacteria
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•Example food preservative: Nisin….
Family of lantibiotics with Complex structure,
low volumetric productivity in natural fermentations
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Menzella et al., Nature Biotechnology 23:1171
Novel antibiotics and cytostatics from reengineering
polyketides
This modularity can be exploited for easy
recombination of modules leading to novel antibiotics:
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PKS Genetic & Biochemical circuit (Streamlined) Bacterial Chassis
r INPUTS OUTPUTS NOR AND OR
Logic Circuit (PKS-on-a-chip)
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Image Todd Rider,MIT
Biosensors and artificial noses for the detection and
production fragrances and flavors
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Probiotics and nutrigenomics
A growing number of health problems, from inflammatory
bowel disease to obesity and even autism have been
linked to disruptions in human-associated microbiota or
alterations of the intimate cross-talk between these
microbes and human cells.
Probiotics are dietary supplements of live microorganisms
thought to be healthy for the host organism.
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Eg. of probiotics-induced modulation of microbial-
mammalian interactions
Differential NF- B pathways induction by L. plantarum in
the duodenum of healthy humans correlating with immune tolerance, Van Baarlen et al, PNAS, 2009
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Managing lactose intolerance
Prevention of colon cancer
Lowering cholesterol
Lowering blood pressure
Improving immune function and preventing infections
Helicobacter pylori
Antibiotic-associated diarrhea
Reducing inflammation
Improving mineral absorption
Prevents harmful bacterial growth under stress
Irritable bowel syndrome and colitis
Some further claims on the effects Probiotics on health
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A forward engineering approach combining systems &
synthetic biology to understand and influence the re-
programming of gut flora
J. Raes, EMBL
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Engineering microbial consortia in nutrigenomics
Given that microbial consortia can perform even more complicated
tasks and endure more changeable environments than monocultures
can, they represent an important new frontier for synthetic biology.
Benner, You, Arnold, TiBTECH, 2008
Image: Dunham, PNAS, 2007
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Plants plant-derived materials for food and feedstocks
Courtesy of Dr Jim Haseloff
E.g. Nutrient-enriched plants, plant cellular reprogramming,
production of microbial starch from inedible waste materials, etc.
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Downstream processing of food waste for use, eg. Biofuels
Biodiesel
MEV
G6P
FDP
G3P DHAP
PYR
AcCoA
DXP
DMAPP IPP
GPP
Isopentenol
Geraniol Geraniol
Acetate
AcCoA
Glucose
Cyclic alkanes
and alkenes
FPP Cyclic
alkanes
and alkenes
Biogasoline
Bio Jet Fuel
Keasling lab, Amyris and other
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Technological potential is vast, societal impact immense
and growing and market opportunities substantial and
diverse
An aging population and increased life expectancy is
increasing awareness about good health and fueling the
growth of demand for high quality food materials and
nutrition strategies.
Synthetic Biology will play a pivotal role in meeting these
and future demands
As with any other technological endeavour (SynBio or not), developments in SynBio for the food & health are to
be tightly embedded in societal and regulatory context.
Summing up