Microbial consortia: a critical look at microalgae co-cultures for enhanced biomanufacturing |
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Authors: | Gloria Padmaperuma Rahul Vijay Kapoore Daniel James Gilmour |
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Institution: | 1. ChELSI Institute, Advanced Biomanufacturing Centre, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK;2. Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK |
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Abstract: | Monocultures have been the preferred production route in the bio-industry, where contamination has been a major bottleneck. In nature, microorganisms usually exist as part of organized communities and consortia, gaining benefits from co-habitation, keeping invaders at bay. There is increasing interest in the use of co-cultures to tackle contamination issues, and simultaneously increase productivity and product diversity. The feasibility of extending the natural phenomenon of co-habitation to the biomanufacturing industry in the form of co-cultures requires careful and systematic consideration of several aspects. This article will critically examine and review current work on microbial co-cultures, with the intent of examining the concept and proposing a design pipeline that can be developed in a biomanufacturing context. |
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Keywords: | Bioproducts metabolites proteins microbial biotechnology microbial communication |
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