(326e) Biosynthesis of Value Chemicals Enabled By Microbial Consortia and Synthetic Adhesins

Biosynthesis of high-value organic molecules is a growing industry, especially as manufacturers move away from fossil fuels and toxic intermediaries, and biosynthesis via co-culture offers the advantages of metabolic division of labor and multiple chassis. We push co-culture biosynthesis one step further by introducing multicellular consortia controlled by synthetic adhesins in bacterial cells. By attaching strains together in a predictable way, we can tune the stoichiometric ratio of each step in a multi-step synthesis. We demonstrate this with a two-step indigo synthesis, where tryptophan is converted to indole by one strain of E. coli, and indole is converted to indigo by a second strain. By comparing indigo production between attached consortia and unattached planktonic co-culture, we can demonstrate how multicellular organization affects biosynthesis. This work will inform multi-cellular biosynthesis that may be applied to a broad range of reactions.