Genomic Science Program
U.S. Department of Energy | Office of Science | Biological and Environmental Research Program

2024 Abstracts

CRISPR/Cas Tool Development and Genome Engineering in Nonmodel Bacteria

Authors:

Michael S. Guzman* ([email protected]), Cholpisit Kiattisewee,  Brian H. Darst, Sam Dyer, Amanda Roberts, Ryan A. L. Cardiff, Diego Alba Burbano, Jesse Zalatan, James M. Carothers

Institutions:

University of Washington

Goals

Develop portable genetic toolkit for CRISPR-based gene regulation and genome engineering in nonmodel bacteria.

Abstract

Nonmodel bacteria represent an untapped reservoir of metabolic diversity that could be harnessed to address urgent societal challenges, including sustainable bioproduction, climate change, plastic recycling, and environmental remediation. Metabolically versatile bacteria such as Pseudomonas putida and the purple nonsulfur bacteria Rhodobacter sphaeroides and Rhodopseudomonas palustris have emerged as chassis strains due to their ability to catabolize a variety of waste products and produce industrially relevant products. However, leveraging the capabilities of nonmodel microbes often requires the development of specialized genetic engineering and synthetic biology tools tailored to their unique genetic backgrounds. Thus, there is a need for portable genome engineering tools that can circumvent this bottleneck. At the meeting the team will give updates on goals and progress towards developing a portable toolbox for CRISPR-based approaches for gene regulation and genome engineering in nonmodel bacteria.