We are working towards reengineering the Carboxysome, a bacterial microcompartment (BMC), to produce a genetically encoded platform for optimized packaging of metabolic processes and/or enclosed protein production systems.
In order to do so, we are developing new biobricks for targeting any protein of interest to the inside of Carboxysomes. We are estimating the structure and volume of the Carboxysome to assess and maximize production yields. Moreover, we are developing a novel bacterial microcompartment isolation method by adapting existing technologies to easily purify reengineered Carboxysomes while maintaining their structural and functional properties.
Our project should facilitate novel applications using cellular or acellular systems for the compartmentalization of metabolic engineering reactions as well as providing a toolbox for safe and efficient production of biomolecules in bacterial systems.