Engineering living bio-hybrid materials for sustainable l-threonine production.
- 2026-03
- Bioresource technology 443
- Shuqi Shi
- Jinming Zhang
- Shiya Zhu
- Yu Sha
- Qingguo Liu
- Tianpeng Chen
- Wenjun Sun
- Wei Zhuang
- Yong Chen
- Hanjie Ying
- PubMed: 41412393
- DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2025.133806
Study Design
- Methods
- Developed an engineered Escherichia coli strain (THR007) displaying FimH lectin on mannose-functionalized composite carrier (CF+PEI+MM) for directional and reversible adhesion.
Living materials integrating microorganisms and functional matrices have emerged as a promising platform for sustainable biomanufacturing and environmental applications. However, precise control of cell-material interactions remains challenging. Here, we developed an engineered Escherichia coli strain (THR007) displaying the lectin protein FimH, which specifically recognizes Mannose ligand on a mannose-functionalized composite carrier (CF+PEI+MM). This engineered living bio-hybrid material establishes directional and reversible adhesion via FimH-methyl-α-d-mannopyranoside recognition, enabling compact biofilm formation and selective, reusable cell-material assembly. During continuous l-threonine fermentation, this system increased production by 22.15 % and shortened the fermentation time by 5 h. This study provides a generalizable strategy for constructing programmable living materials that couple molecular recognition with microbial activity, paving the way for sustainable biomanufacturing and continuous fermentation.