Synthetic Biology: Metabolic Engineering and Synthetic Biology of Yeast - Jens Nielsen

https://www.ibiology.org/bioengineeri... Dr. Jens Nielsen introduces the idea that cells can act as microbial factories for the sustainable production of diverse products. Dr. Nielsen explains that the goal of metabolic engineering is to alter a cell’s metabolism to produce a desired product. He gives examples of successful implementation of these concepts in yeast, including acetyl-CoA overproduction and synthesis of polyhydroxybutyrate (for biodegradable plastics), n-butanol (a biofuel) and resverotrol (a cancer and diabetes drug). He concludes by highlighting a project to improve the thermotolerance of yeast to facilitate industrial applications. Speaker Biography: Jens Nielsen received his PhD in Biochemical Engineering from the Danish Technical University. Currently, he is a professor and head of the Division of Systems and Synthetic Biology at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden. His research focuses on understanding metabolic processes in humans and microbes along with developing chemical and protein production pathways in yeast. He is a member of many organizations including: the Academy of Technical Sciences in Denmark, the National Academy of Engineering in USA, and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.