Team:Stanford-Brown/Composite

With rising costs in synthetic rubber chemical synthesis, environmental blight, and deforestation diminishing the annual yield of natural rubber plantations, a new alternative for latex production is needed to address its global demand shortfall. To address this issue, we sought to transform the latex synthesis pathway into a single cell organism that could be grown in bioreactors, such as Escherichia coli. Due to its low doubling time and ability to be cultured in bulk, genetically modified E. coli capable of producing latex offer a promising solution for fast, high yield latex production. Through genetic manipulation of the endogenous methylerythritol phosphate (MEP/DOXP) pathway and transformation with rubber production genes from Hevea brasiliensis, we developed a transgenic single cell organism capable of converting glucose into cis-1,4-polyisoprene, the primary chemical constituent in latex. By transforming E. coli with genes responsible for rubber synthesis in Hevea brasiliensis, we were able to successfully enable synthesis of isoprene polymers from glucose. To further maximize optimize our system, we also constitutively expressed DXS synthase to optimize isopentenyl pyrophosphate (the monomer in polyisoprene) production. Consequently, not only is our modified organism capable of producing cis-polyisoprenes quickly, but also in high yield. To learn more, go to https://2016.igem.org/Team:Stanford-Brown/SB16_BioMembrane_Latex