Antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest societal challenges globally today and needs to be addressed at different levels. Researchers at Chalmers are starting a project to improve microbial probiotics and prebiotics, from leftover biomass of the bioindustry, to decrease the risk of infections in farm animals. By improving the protection power of these microbes, the use of antibiotics can be decreased, and value is added to existing processes for bioproduction.
Mauro Moreno-Beltrán, postdoc at the Division of Systems and Synthetic Biology, is the leader of the project that was highlighted on IVA’s 100 list of research projects and innovations with focus on technology on the service of humanity.
“The project sits in between several areas. On one hand, it is trying to help decrease the use of antibiotics in farms due to the threat of antimicrobial resistance around the world. On the other hand, this project is aiming to add value to bioproduction processes,” says Mauro Moreno-Beltrán.
Antibiotics have traditionally been used as growth enhancers in farms, and now that this use is being reduced or prohibited, farms need alternatives. Probiotics and prebiotics are used to enhance health conditions, and they have a big potential to help protect farm animals against diseases.
Bioprocesses need to improve cost efficiency
Microorganisms, so called cell factories, can be used in bioprocesses for production of sustainable alternatives to non-renewable products like plastics and fuels, but they cannot do it at the same cost as traditional ways. Mauro Moreno-Beltrán explains that although bio-produced plastics are already in the market, they are only used for around 10 percent of the total demand. This problem extends to renewable products like vegetable oils, which high demand pushes the limited production area to deforestation to produce more.
“My hope is that with projects like this one, we can give more value to the process to offset the price of these alternative products and cover the demand for their traditional counterparts.”
How do these bioprocesses work?
“One can think of these processes as winemaking, in fact, it is an example. You grow microbes feeding them sugars, the grapes, and at the end, a higher value product is obtained, the wine.”
The most successful cases of this process are based on high price products, like pharmaceuticals (insulin, vaccines), but when it comes to cheaper products like plastics or fuels, economic viability is hard to achieve. So, most processes try to give extra value to the process, for example, the leftover biomass, the microbes, is used as animal feed.
Better microorganisms can increase value of leftover biomass
To improve the yeast used in industrial processes the research team will make genetic modifications to make the microorganisms produce molecules that help them hinder the growth of pathogen microbes.
By improving the probiotic and prebiotic potential of the industrial yeasts you can simultaneously increase the value of the leftover biomass that is commonly sold to the agricultural industry.
About Mauro Moreno-Beltrán
- My work focuses on bioproduction, especially lipids and oils, and tools to make the process economically viable.
- I studied Biotechnology bachelor's in Spain, then I decided to move to France to learn more about Systems and Synthetic Biology in an Msc. Here, I did an internship at a start-up using yeast for bioproduction.
- I did my PhD in England, I was part of a project that aimed to produce a sustainable substitute for palm oil in yeast.
- Now I am a postdoc at Chalmers, working on synthetic biology tools to improve the yield of lipid production in yeast.
Contact
- Visiting Researcher, Systems Biology, Life Sciences