TU Wien Scientists Engineer Bacteria to Metabolize Carbon Monoxide

A research team, led by Stefan Pflügl from the Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering at Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien), has successfully genetically engineered the bacterium Thermoanaerobacter kivui to metabolize carbon monoxide. Their findings, published in Nature Communications and Biotechnology for Biofuels and Bioproducts, open opportunities for their application in converting synthesis gas into useful bio-based products.

T. kivui is known to thrive at high temperatures and convert simple molecules like carbon dioxide and hydrogen into organic compounds. With its potential use in biomass gasification, genetic modification could be used to allow T. kivui to sustainably produce valuable chemicals, such as ethanol and isopropanol. “We succeeded in slowly adapting the bacterium to carbon monoxide”, said Pflügl. "Later, it was even able to use carbon monoxide as its sole source of energy and carbon,” he added.

Building on this discovery, the team used Hi-TARGET, a gene editing tool based on CRISPR-Cas technology, to replicate and accelerate the process. This method allowed them to modify the bacterium's DNA with 100% success at a significantly faster rate. Their findings not only deepen the understanding of microbial evolution but also provide insights into a powerful tool for bioengineering other gas-metabolizing organisms. According to Pflügl, this breakthrough has the potential to improve biofuel production and reduce reliance on fossil-based resources.

For more information, read the article from TU Wien or the journal articles from Nature Communications and Biotechnology for Biofuels and Bioproducts.