Coloured e. Coli bacteria
A coloured scanning electron microscope image of E. coli. Credit: Clouds Hill Imaging Ltd. / Getty Images
We normally think of E. coli as something that makes us sick, but the bacteria also plays a huge role in making us better – by producing medicines.
And a new study might help to make medical production more sustainable – by making E. coli stronger.
The study is published in Nature Catalysis.
A range of pharmaceuticals, including mRNA vaccines and insulin, use microbial fermentation at some point in their production.
This is harmless strains of bacteria – often E. coli – which have been genetically modified to make a certain type of molecule, like DNA or a protein.
The process is also used for non-pharmaceutical products, such as skin creams and fertilisers.
But microbes don’t last very long in the vats where they make these molecules. Industry has to pour time, money, energy and raw materials into growing more replacement bacteria.
“We took a common industrial bacterium, E. coli, and essentially gave it a ‘Superman cape’ to enhance its catalysis capabilities. This reduces energy use and makes the production process more sustainable,” says co-author Associate Professor Changzhu Wu, a chemist at the University of Southern Denmark.
Wu’s ‘superman cape’ is polymer molecules, which draw strength from their long, thin shapes.
The team has developed a way to add various types of polymer to the bacterial cells, saying it could be used as a “technology platform” for various types of strengthened E. coli.
“We essentially grafted an E. coli bacterium’s cell membrane with polymers, achieving two important outcomes: First, the bacteria became stronger and more efficient, and could carry out complex chemical reactions more quickly,” says Wu.
“Second, the bacteria became more protected, allowing for multiple uses.
“So, it’s a kind of ‘Superman bacterium’ that is more sustainable.”
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