Oak Ridge National Laboratory Sequences the Genome of Clostridium autoethanogenum

Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory were the first to sequence the entire genome of Clostridium autoethanogenum, an anaerobic bacterium used to produce fuel and chemicals from a range of raw materials and industrial wastes. Successful sequencing of the bacterium was vital to the biotechnology industry.

"With the complete genomic sequence, we will have a better understanding of the microbe's metabolism and mutations that will enable LanzaTech to make modifications to the wild-type, or naturally occurring, strain for optimizing the conversion of waste into fuel," said Steve Brown one of the co-authors of the paper, published in Biotechnology for Biofuels.

The project also revealed information about the genetic history of the bacterium through short DNA sequences known as CRISPR systems, which retain genetic mutations that are subsequently passed on to future generations of a microbe. CRISPR systems are important indicators of strengths and vulnerabilities that biotechnology companies look for when genetically modifying a microbe.