Study Results from National Cheng Kung University in the Area of Escherichia coli Reported (Iterative Optimization of Exogenous Genes and Redirection of Metabolic Flux for Enhanced Itaconate Biosynthesis In Engineered Escherichia Coli).

A study conducted by researchers at National Cheng Kung University in Tainan, Taiwan, focused on enhancing the production of itaconate or itaconic acid (IA) in engineered Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. IA is a sustainable and valuable platform chemical with potential as an alternative to petroleum-derived compounds. The researchers engineered E. coli strains by modifying the IA biosynthesis pathway and eliminating byproduct-forming pathways. Through these modifications, they were able to increase IA production by 20% compared to the control strain. The study also implemented a semi-continuous batch fermentation approach, resulting in an IA accumulation of 35.5 g/L after four batches. [Extracted from the article]