Bacterial adaptations for enhanced cellulose utilization: a systems approach

Our overall objective is to identify phenotypic regions of ethanol-only production achieved through environmental perturbations, with development of a predictive model that is applicable to both environmental and genetic manipulation of C. thermocellum product selectivity. Specific Aim 1. Map the dissolved gas/dilution rate parameter space of fermentation end product profiles, using a high pressure chemostat, and identify regions which move metabolism towards ethanol-only production. Specific Aim 2. Incorporate metabolic flux model into whole-cell model that accounts for growth (i.e., dilution) rate and dissolved gas effects on product seletivity. Specific Aim 3. Evaluate the predictive model by comparing actual and predicted metabolic profiles for a broad range of phenotypes.