Simulation of Sustainable Amino Acid Recycling by Using a Cooperative Microbial Biosynthesis Pathway

The global protein dearth represents a major nutritional challenge, with profound consequences for physical health and neurodevelopment. Current protein supplements are costly and expensive, energy-intensive, and inaccessible to the populations most in need. In the present work, we propose a synthetic microbial consortium designed to recycle amino acids from cheap and abundant waste resources, including urea and plant-derived lipids. Our system integrates the photosynthetic algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa, each genetically engineered for complementary metabolic functions. Using COBRApy and MICOM simulations, we modelled amino acid biosynthesis, nitrogen fluxes, and growth stability within the consortium. The obtained data indicate that (i) N. crassa can efficiently convert excess urea into nitrate for transfer to algal cells, (ii) lipid-derived acetate serves as a robust carbon backbone for C. reinhardtii, and (iii) pathway engineering enables overproduction and secretion of the nine essential amino acids. Additionally, the incorporation of the red fluorescent protein Katushka in one algal strain allows optical monitoring of consortium balance and provides a regulatory mechanism via light modulation. We hope that a co-culture of C. reinhardtii and N. crassa can be engineered into a system for amino acid biosynthesis. This engineered metabolic cooperation can achieve stable flux partitioning while maintaining overall productivity

کلیدواژه ها:

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii ، metabolic engineering ، microbial consortium ، Neurospora crassa ، nitrogen recycling ، katushka