Journal: Trends in Biotechnology (Online ahead of print, August 14, 2025)
Summary: A team led by Paula Vidal and collaborators from Nostrum Biodiscovery and other institutions, successfully reprogrammed E. coli cells to degrade PET nanoparticles by repurposing native proteins using in silico selection and CRISPR/Cas9 editing—without introducing foreign DNA or compromising cellular fitness. A variant of the periplasmic protein LsrB was engineered to degrade PET at physiological temperatures.
Text: The Protein Engineering Department is glad to share that its Director, Sergi Rodà, has published a new paper in Trends in Biotechnology entitled “Computationally Guided Genome Rewiring of Escherichia coli for PET Biodegradation and Upcycling”.
The article displays novel methodologies to successfully reprogram microorganisms (exemplified by E. coli in the paper) to degrade PET nanoparticles by repurposing their native proteins using proprietary in silico Nostrum technologies together with CRISPR/Cas9 editing without ever introducing foreign DNA or compromising the cellular fitness. A variant of the periplasmic protein LsrB was engineered to degrade PET at physiological temperatures.
According to our Director of Protein Engineering, Sergi Rodà:
“Our latest publication in Trends in Biotechnology showcases the potential of repurposing native proteins from industrially used microorganisms to perform novel tasks they did not evolve to do. This methodology opens new opportunities for the biotechnological field, allowing the incorporation of novel catalytic functions (like polyester-degrading bacteria, as shown in the paper) without compromising their overall functioning.”
Link to the paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibtech.2025.07.008
At Nostrum Biodiscovery, we are experts in providing exquisite rational protein design, from enzymes (redesign and de novo) to antibodies and affibodies, as displayed in the article.
