(67c) Modcell: A Multiobjective Strain Design Platform for Modular Cell Engineering

Metabolic engineering has enabled the use of microbial cell factories for industrial production of biochemicals. However, developing an optimal strain for synthesis of one product with the conventional strategy is laborious and expensive. To accelerate and reduce the cost of strain engineering, we develop the modular cell (MODCELL) design principle by exploiting the modular organization of metabolic networks and combinatorial possibilities of metabolic modules that enable the synthesis of a large space of biochemicals. Using the multiobjective optimization methods, we develop novel algorithms to implement the MODCELL design for genome-scale metabolic networks. We demonstrate MODCELL to design the biomass-degrading Clostridium thermocellum modular cell for combinatorial synthesis of biochemicals, e.g., alcohols and bioesters from lignocellulosic biomass. We envision the MODCELL will provide a useful platform for modular cell engineering.