Can a lower intracellular pH improve the production of protein biomaterials in the bacterium E. coli?
Sour rods
The biotechnological production of proteins is limited to the conditions provided by living cells. Proteins with promising material properties are often insoluble in cells because of the cellular pH which is near-neutral.
This project will test the boundaries of protein production in the bacterium E. coli by temporarily lowering the cellular pH using an established mechanism, and applying this in the context of protein expression for the first time. An insoluble squid protein will serve as model to test whether the cellular pH can be lowered enough to reach solubility and thereby improve production.
Timeline: 01 March 2023 - 29 February 2024
Contacts: Julia Jansing