The DesignerMicroStars Gallery

Chiefs: Pablo Ivan Nikel, Diethard Mattanovich

Microbes make a huge spectrum of compounds and materials, and carry out a vast array of reactions and processes, some of which are useful to us and can be exploited in technological processes – biotechnology. In efforts to increase yields and performance of such processes, microbiologists create ‘designer’ cells that are particularly good at producing what is wanted, using the tools of genetic engineering, modelling of cellular metabolism and synthetic biology. These ‘cell factories’ are the core of biotechnological production processes and the bioeconomy. Let’s learn about and celebrate the Designer Microbes that provide us with so many important and vital goods and services!

• Bacteria

  • Ecoli (Escherichia coli) Claim to fame: versatile, best understood cell factory
  • PseudoP (Pseudomonas putida) Claim to fame: robust cell factory and synthetic biology chassis
  • Rhoca (Rhodobacter capsulatus) Claim to fame: new microbial cell factory for sustainable photobiotechnology
  • Rhodos (Rhodobacter sphaeroides) Claim to fame: chemicals via photosynthesis (Eng.,Ita)
  • Vinat (Vibrio natriegens) Claim to fame: the fastest growing non-pathogenic organism on our planet.

• Fungi

  • Oga-po (Ogataea polymorpha) Claim to fame: making things from thin air!
  • Yarra (Yarrowia lipolytica) Claim to fame: the “oily yeast” used to produce speciality oils and much more.
  • Pipa (Pichia pastoris) Claim to fame: a tiny yeast that has become a mighty cell factory with superpowers.
  • Usti (Ustilago maydis) Claim to fame: a fungal plant pathogen that creates a food delicacy and serves as a model fungus and factory for production of chemicals