AutoBioTech─A Versatile Biofoundry for Automated Strain Engineering

ACS Synthetic Biology, vol. 13, pp. 2227–2237

Abstract

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide The inevitable transition from petrochemical production processes to renewable alternatives has sparked the emergence of biofoundries in recent years. Manual engineering of microbes will not be sufficient to meet the ever-increasing demand for novel producer strains. Here we describe the AutoBioTech platform, a fully automated laboratory system with 14 devices to perform operations for strain construction without human interaction. Using modular workflows, this platform enables automated transformations of Escherichia coli with plasmids assembled via modular cloning. A CRISPR/Cas9 toolbox compatible with existing modular cloning frameworks allows automated and flexible genome editing of E. coli . In addition, novel workflows have been established for the fully automated transformation of the Gram-positive model organism Corynebacterium glutamicum by conjugation and electroporation, with the latter proving to be the more robust technique. Overall, the AutoBioTech platform excels at versatility due to the modularity of workflows and seamless transitions between modules. This will accelerate strain engineering of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria.

Authors 11

1. Tobias Michael Rosch

   Forschungszentrum Jülich

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany

2. Julia Tenhaef

   Forschungszentrum Jülich

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany

3. Till Redeker

   Forschungszentrum Jülich

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany

4. Dominic Kösters Aachen Institute of Biotechnology

   Forschungszentrum Jülich · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany

   Institute of Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringer Weg 3, D-52074 Aachen, Germany

5. Niels Hollmann Aachen Institute of Biotechnology

   Forschungszentrum Jülich · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany

   Institute of Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringer Weg 3, D-52074 Aachen, Germany

6. Karin Krumbach

   Forschungszentrum Jülich

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany

7. Wolfgang Wiechert

   Forschungszentrum Jülich

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany

8. Michael H. Bott

   Forschungszentrum Jülich

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany

   The Bioeconomy Science Center (BioSC), Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany

9. Susana Matamouros

   Forschungszentrum Jülich

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany

10. Jan Marienhagen Aachen Institute of Biotechnology

    Forschungszentrum Jülich · RWTH Aachen University

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany

    Institute of Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringer Weg 3, D-52074 Aachen, Germany

11. Stephan Noack corresponding

    Forschungszentrum Jülich

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany