Unlocking the potential of bacterial polymers by defining key determinants. Sugary structures that coat the surface of some bacteria, known as capsules, can be modified by bacterial viruses (bacteriophage) in the environment. For the bacterial genus Acinetobacter, this influences their use as naturally renewable 'green' biopolymers for remediating environments contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons. This project aims to characterise crucial capsule polymerase enzymes using a combination of bio ....Unlocking the potential of bacterial polymers by defining key determinants. Sugary structures that coat the surface of some bacteria, known as capsules, can be modified by bacterial viruses (bacteriophage) in the environment. For the bacterial genus Acinetobacter, this influences their use as naturally renewable 'green' biopolymers for remediating environments contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons. This project aims to characterise crucial capsule polymerase enzymes using a combination of bioinformatics and experimental methodologies to establish how bacteriophage influence Acinetobacter capsules. Outcomes include the development of an innovative genomics pipeline to detect capsule change, improving the use of living bacteria for bioremediation and sustainable rehabilitation of natural ecosystems.Read moreRead less
Data-led bioengineering to uncover hidden chemical wealth in bacteria. The soil bacteria Nocardia are an untapped source of industrially prized chemical compounds called natural products. This project aims to develop innovative bioprospecting genomics technologies built from the disciplines of microbiology, biochemistry and computational statistics to discover hundreds of new natural products in Nocardia. This project will unlock the diversity of potent new enzymes and molecules with high econom ....Data-led bioengineering to uncover hidden chemical wealth in bacteria. The soil bacteria Nocardia are an untapped source of industrially prized chemical compounds called natural products. This project aims to develop innovative bioprospecting genomics technologies built from the disciplines of microbiology, biochemistry and computational statistics to discover hundreds of new natural products in Nocardia. This project will unlock the diversity of potent new enzymes and molecules with high economic value that could include insecticides to protect crops, bioactives to fight diseases, or new enzymes for food and biofuel production. This research unlocks enormous hidden chemical potential in soil bacteria, to build sustainable national economic growth through innovative, high-value industrial chemical development.Read moreRead less