Reaction engineering analysis of Escherichia coli for the production of a hydrophobic spider silk Protein

Georg Faust, doctoral thesis Technische Universität München, 2014

Spider silk proteins can be produced with recombinant bacteria. The aim of this thesis was the reaction engineering analysis of the intracellular production of a hydrophobic spider silk protein in stirred tank reactors to reveal possible ways for process intensification. Using minimized amounts of raw materials, a simplified substrate dosing and an appropriate induction strategy, the recombinant Escherichia coli cells could be maximally filled with the spider silk protein applying a high cell density fermentation process. Thus, the product concentration in the reactor was more than doubled.

Publications

• Faust G, Stand A, Weuster-Botz D (2015): IPTG can replace lactose in auto-induction media to enhance protein expression in batch-cultured Escherichia coli. Eng Life Sci 15: 824-829.
• Faust G, Janzen N, Bendig C, Römer L, Kaufmann K, Weuster-Botz D (2014): Feeding strategies enhance high cell density cultivation and protein expression in milliliter-scale bioreactors. Biotechnol J 9: 1293-1303.