development of a novel screening system for methanorophs producing useful compounds

• Project/Area Number: 26660056
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Applied microbiology
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: NAKAJIMA-KAMBE Toshiaki 筑波大学, 生命環境系, 教授 (80241777)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2015)
• Budget Amount: ¥3,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥900,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥2,340,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥540,000)
• Keywords: 発酵生産 / スクリーニング技術 / メタン資化性菌

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A novel screening system of isolating methanotrophs that produce useful compounds was developed. The facts that methanotrophs cannot use any carbon sources except methane and general bacteria cannot use methane as sole carbon source were the key point of this method. The mixture of assay strains (E. coli, etc) was added in the minimal salt medium and cultured with methane as the sole carbon source. If methanotrophs that produce several organic compounds, assay strains can grow and become clouded around the colony of it.Finally, some methanotrophs that produce organic compound were isolated using this screening system.