WG3: Non-conventional yeasts capabilities and molecular biology (systems/synthetic biology)

Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro
Leader
Imperial College London, United Kingdom.

MOTIVATION
Non-conventional yeasts are capable of metabolizing complex carbon sources and to cope with a wide range of process conditions, using in many cases alternative metabolic routes. Yet, the mechanisms responsible for such traits are mainly unknown or under study. The use of specific techniques such as -omics techniques (e.g. genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics and metabolomics) and the development of particular molecular/genetic tools must be therefore promoted towards studying non-conventional yeast at the molecular, genetic, metabolic and physiology levels to fully understand how these microorganisms deal with these processes.
Improving the knowledge on how non-conventional yeasts strains metabolize unusual substrates (carboxylic acids and biomass-derived sugars) or accumulate unusual products (food additives, enzymes, lipids), are fundamental issues to boost the transition to a more sustainable industry based on renewable raw materials. YEAST4BIO integrates basic research (genetics, systems biology, synthetic biology, etc.) and applied biotechnology groups as well as industrial partners to resolve technological questions and boost the commercialization of bioproducts obtained by non-conventional yeasts.
OBJECTIVES
WG3 aims at exploring the possibilities for applying molecular biology and genomics tools for improvement and development of new non-conventional yeasts strains. Specific metabolic pathways steering to the formation of industrially relevant bioproducts will be investigated by using 1) novel molecular and systems/synthetic biology techniques typically applied to S. cerevisiae and/or 2) specific software for in-silico simulation and -omics data analysis. Also, metabolic engineering studies and system/synthetic biology approaches will be assessed to increase their robustness and production yields.
Specific Tasks of WG3 are:
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To investigate the current situation and research studies on the potential of non-conventional yeasts for the production of bioproducts from low-cost renewable resources and respective molecular tools available.
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To improve non-conventional yeast strains in terms of different carbon source utilization, robustness and yields by means of genetic, systems/synthetic biology and biotechnological tools.
PARTICIPANTS
Country | Participant | Role | Institution of affiliation | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Austria | Anton Glieder | MC member | anton.glieder@bisy.at | Graz University of Technology, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology |
Austria | Diethard Mattanovich | MC member | diethard.mattanovich@boku.ac.at | University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Veinna |
Austria | Harald Pichler | MC substitute | harald.pichler@tugraz.at | Graz University of Technology, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology |
Belgium | Patrick Fickers | MC member | pfickers@uliege.be | Université de Liege - Gembloux Agro-BioTech |
Belgium | Sofie de Maeseneire | MC substitute | sofie.demaeseneire@ugent.be | Ghent University |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | Borut Bosancic | MC member | borut.bosancic@agro.unibl.org | University of Banja Luka, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Biometrics |
Croatia | Igor Stuparevic | MC member | istuparevic@pbf.hr | Laboratory for Biochemistry, Faculty of Food Technology and biotechnology, University of Zagreb |
Croatia | Anamarija Štafa | Participant | astafa@pbf.hr | University of Zagreb, Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology |
Czech Republic | Hana Sychrova | ITC- Conference Manager/MC member | hana.sychrova@fgu.cas.cz | Department of Membrane Transport, Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences |
Czech Republic | Jakub Masaryk | MC substitute | jakub.masaryk@fgu.cas.cz | Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences |
Denmark | Jose Luis Martinez Ruiz | Vice-Chair/ MC member | jlmr@dtu.dk | Technical University of Denmark (DTU) |
Denmark | César Fonseca | MC member | csf@bio.aau.dk | Aalborg University |
Estonia | Petri-Jaan Lahtvee | WG3 Vice-Leader/MC member | lahtvee@ut.ee | University of Tartu |
Estonia | Tiina Alamäe | MC member | tiina@alamae.eu | Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu |
Estonia | Nemailla Bonturi | MC substitute | nemailla.bonturi@ut.ee | University of Tartu |
Estonia | Triinu Visnapuu | MC substitute | triinu.visnapuu@ut.ee | University of Tartu |
France | Jean-Marc Nicaud | MC member | jean-marc.nicaud@inra.fr | INRAE |
France | Tristan Rossignol | MC substitute | tristan.rossignol@inra.fr | INRAE |
Greece | George Aggelis | MC member | george.aggelis@upatras.gr | University of Patras |
Iceland | Hjörleifur Einarsson | MC member | hei@unak.is | University of Akureyri |
Ireland | John Morrisey | MC member | j.morrissey@ucc.ie | University College Cork |
Israel | Yoram Gerchman | WG1 Vide-Leader/MC member | gerchman.yoram@gmail.com | Oranim college (and University of Haifa) |
Israel | Gur Pines | Participant | gurp@volcani.agri.gov.il | Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center |
Italy | Gennaro Agrimi | MC member | gennaro.agrimi@uniba.it | University of Bari - Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceutics |
Italy | Paola Branduardi | MC member | paola.branduardi@unimib.it | University of Milano Bicocca |
Italy | Alessandro Angelini | MC substitute | alessandro.angelini@unive.it | Ca’ Foscari University of Venice |
Italy | Lisa Solieri | Participant* | lisa.solieri@unimore.it | Dept. of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia |
Latvia | Mara Grube | MC member | grube@lu.lv | Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Latvia |
Luxembourg | Magdalena Calusinska | WG6 Leader/MC member | magdalena.calusinska@list.lu | Luxembourg Institute of Science and technology |
Poland | Aleksandra Maria Mironczuk | MC member | aleksandra.mironczuk@upwr.edu.pl | Wroclaw Univerisity of Environmental and Life Sciences |
Poland | Andriy Sibirny | MC member | sibirny@yahoo.com | University of Rzeszow, Department of Biotechnology |
Portugal | Isabel Sá-Correia | MC member | isacorreia@tecnico.ulisboa.pt | iBB-Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa |
Serbia | Zorana Rončević | MC member | ron@uns.ac.rs | Faculty of Technology Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad |
Serbia | RužicaTomičić | MC member | ruzica.tomicic@yahoo.com | Faculty of Technology, University of Novi Sad |
Slovakia | Martin Rebroš | MC member | martin.rebros@stuba.sk | Slovak University of Technology |
Slovakia | Milan Certic | MC substitute | milan.certik@stuba.sk | Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology |
Slovenia | Nina Gunde-Cimerman | MC member | nina.gunde-cimerman@bf.uni-lj.si | University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Dept. Biology |
Slovenia | Cene Gostinčar | MC substitute | cene.gostincar@bf.uni-lj.si | University of Ljubljana |
Spain | Elia Tomás | Chair | elia.tomas@imdea.org | IMDEA Energy Institute |
Spain | Carmela Belloch | MC substitute | belloch@iata.csic.es | Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology - CSIC |
Spain | María Isabel González Siso | Participant | migs@udc.es | Universidade da Coruña |
Spain | Pau Ferrer | Participant* | pau.ferrer@uab.cat | Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona |
Spain | Alberto Jiménez García | Participant* | alji@usal.es | Metabolic Engineering Group, Department of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Salamanca |
Spain | José Luis Revuelta Doval | Participant* | revuelta@usal.es | Metabolic Engineering Group, Department of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Salamanca |
Sweden | Cecilia Geijer | WG4 Vice-Leader/MC substitute | cecilia.geijer@chalmers.se | Chalmers University of Technology |
Sweden | Lisbeth Olsson | WG4 Leader/MC member | lisbeth.olsson@chalmers.se | Chalmers University of Technology |
Sweden | Volkmar Passoth | WG2 Leader/MC member | volkmar.passoth@slu.se | Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Molecular Sciences |
Sweden | Eduard Kerkhoven | Participant | eduardk@chalmers.se | Chalmers University of Technology |
Sweden | Charilaos Xiros | Participant | charilaos.xiros@processum.se | RISE Processum AB |
Turkey | Gözde Konuray | MC member | gkonuray@gmail.com | Cukurova University Department of Food Engineering, Saricam |
Turkey | Pinar Çalık | Participant | pcalik@metu.edu.tr | Middle East Technical University |
Turkey | Baris Binay | MC substitute | binay@gtu.edu.tr | Gebze Technical University |
Turkey | Burcu Gündüz Ergün | Participant | burcugunduz3@gmail.com | Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Biotechnology Research Center |
Turkey | Urartu Ozgur Safak Seker | Participant | urartu@bilkent.edu.tr | Bilkent University |
UK | Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro | WG3 Leader/MC member | r.ledesma-amaro@imperial.ac.uk | Imperial College London |
UK | Chieh Hsu | MC member | c.hsu@kent.ac.uk | University of Kent |
UK | Huadong Peng | MC substitute | h.peng@imperial.ac.uk | Imperial College London |
UK | Paul Fraser | Participant* | p.fraser@rhul.ac.uk | Royal Holloway, University of London |