The primary obstacle impeding the more widespread use of biomass for energy and chemical production is the absence of a low-cost technology for overcoming the recalcitrance of these materials. Cellulosomes are self-assembled multi-enzyme complexes found in many anaerobic microorganisms that are highly efficient for biomass depolymerization. The group of investigators have successfully developed a synthetic yeast consortium displaying a functional cellulosome for biofuel production. However, given the complexity of the different members involved in the consortium, engineering cell to cell coordination is the key in maintaining the required overall functionality. Their goal in this project is to design synthetic extracellular sensors that can be used to regulate the secretion of enzymes and adaptor scaffoldins involved in the assembly of the appropriate complex cellulosome structure in a substrate-dependent manner. The proposed research is scientifically significant because it will provide a general framework for the design of extracellular sensors that are important for other bioprocessing or biomedical applications. Moreover, graduate students participating in this research will gain an integrated perspective of the important interfaces and synergies connecting biochemistry, modern genetics, and process engineering to solve an important problem of our society.
