DTU Studieprojekt - Optimization of plants p450 expression in bakers yeast

Optimization of plants p450 expression in bakers yeast

Udbyder
Vejleder
Sted
København og omegn
Master project/ Special course:
Optimization of plant’s p450 expression in baker’s yeast
The project

• A group of plant secondary metabolites called monoterpenoid indole alkaloids (MIAs) is interesting for the pharmaceutical industry, due to the fact that many of the compounds from this group have (pose) medical properties. Examples of commercially available MIAs include anticancer irinotecan, vinblastine and vincristine. Plant based production of MIAs is often limited by low concentrations, challenging extraction procedures or land usage. Expression of plant genes in baker’s yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae allows ​for heterologous production of numerous valuable compounds with health-promoting or pharmaceutical properties. The aim of the MIA project is to refactor complex monoterpenoid indole alkaloids pathways in yeast. Diverse collaborators are giving us opportunity to discover and optimize MIA pathway using omics approaches in plants and yeast. Some of the enzymes in the MIA pathway have a very low activity. The objective of this project is to optimize expression/activity of these problematic enzymes in S.cereviciae. In order to develop an enzyme with improved activity, evolutionary approach will be applied.

Skills acquired in the project

• USER cloning, yeast and E.coli transformation, adaptive laboratory evolution, flow cytometry, sequencing analysis, experimental designs, data management and electronic lab notebook (Benchling).

About you

• You have a background in biotechnology or bioengineering and have gained first experience in the laboratory. Ideally, you have experience with molecular biology and/or yeast culture and/or E.coli. You are curiosity-driven, motivated, and structured as a person, and you enjoy working in a high-paced international environment. You are available to start working on the project in spring 2021.

About us
You will be working in the Synthetic Biology Tools for Yeast group at DTU Biosustain, led by Michael Krogh Jensen and Jay Keasling. Your project will be supervised by PostDoc student Beata Joanna Lehka. More information about the group can be found here: https://www.miami-project.eu/

If you are interested in working on this project, please send your CV (incl. 1 reference) and last grade transcript to either Beta Joanna Lehka (blehka@biosustain.dtu.dk) or Michael Krogh Jensen (mije@biosustain.dtu.dk).

Emneord

• Bioteknologi og biokemi
• Fysik
• Informationsteknologi
• Kemi
• Matematik
• Medicin og medicoteknik
• Transport og logistik
• Bakterier og mikroorganismer
• Biologiske systemer
• Celler
• Enzymer og proteiner
• Gener og genomer
• Syntetisk biologi
• Vira
• Dataanalyse
• Teknisk kemi
• Matematisk modellering
• Sundhed og sygdomme

Navn
Beata Lehka

Stilling
Postdoc

Mail
blehka@biosustain.dtu.dk

Vejleder-info
Kandidatuddannelsen i Bioteknologi
Vejleder
Beata Lehka

ECTS-point
10 - 30

Type
Kandidatspeciale, Specialkursus

Kandidatuddannelsen i Kemisk og Biokemisk Teknologi
Vejleder
Beata Lehka

ECTS-point
10 - 30

Type
Kandidatspeciale, Specialkursus