[SCAN] RNA regulators as tools for improvement of microbial cell factories

Title: RNA regulators as tools for improvement of microbial cell factories

Speaker: Sandra Viegas

Abstract: The establishment of bacteria as viable means of producing valuable compounds has led to the development of methods to expand their natural biosynthetic capabilities. However, bacterial efficiency is restricted by their complex regulatory mechanisms and a low survival in the demanding industrial conditions. It is my aim to understand how bacterial RNA regulators can be used as means to modulate the metabolism of bacteria with a high biotechnological value. In this seminar I will present you the work that we have been doing regarding RNA regulators in Pseudomonas putida, a robust and stress tolerant bacteria highly attractive for industrial applications. These organisms that present natural biotechnologically-relevant traits are important to be better understood. 
For instance, ribonucleases (RNases) constitute a regulatory layer in Pseudomonas that deserves further exploration. These enzymes are key players in the post-transcriptional control of gene expression by degrading or processing all kinds of RNA molecules in the cell. This makes these post-transcriptional regulators attractive candidates to regulate microbial physiology.
Another class of bacterial RNA regulators that deserve further study are the small non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), an heterogenous group of molecules that control a variety of stress responses. The natural versatility of these molecules has inspired the design of ncRNA-based synthetic devices to modulate heterologous gene expression. It is also our aim to decipher the complexity of the ncRNome in the model platform P. putida and get insight into the importance of ncRNAs regulators for bacterial adaptation under industrial production context.

ITQB NOVA Virtual Auditorium
Join the session: https://zoom.us/j/93139069443