controlled synergy: peptide-mediated cell-cell communication between yeast and bacteria in (bio)technological processes (CoSyn)

ESF-Junior research group (collaboration project)

part of institute of water chemistry:

Development of an analysis method for the detection of signal peptides and degraded antibiotics at low concentrations and in complex matrices

project leader: Prof. Dr. S. Stolte                                                                                            project team: Dipl.-Ing. C. Pohl, M.Sc. L. Schuster, Dr. S. Beil, Dr. H. Börnick                funding organisation: ESF  (FKZ: 100382167)                                                                                    duration: 03.2020-12.2022

Within the ESF-project (CoSyn) a proof of principle for the detection and the degradation of antibiotics based on a cell-sensor-actor-system will be developed. Therefore, for the first time a cell-cell communication between two phylogenetically different microorganisms (yeast and bacteria) will be initiated to produce and secrete antibiotics-degrading enzymes. Bacteria (B. subtilis) react as sensor-system, recognise antibiotics and produce specific signal peptides. In turn, they activate the secretion of enzymes by yeast (S. cerevisiae, S. pombe) which degrades antibiotics to make them ineffective.

The interdisciplinary NFG is formed out of the Institutes of Genetics, Microbiology, Bioprocess Engineering and Water Chemistry. The young scientists will generate genetically modified organisms, optimize the growth in cocultures and analyse their interaction.

The main task of the Institute of Water Chemistry is the qualitative and quantitative detection of secreted signalling molecules and target analytes (signal peptides, antibiotics, transformation products), including following partial aspects:

• qualitative and quantitative detection of the required signal peptides (yeast alpha- and P-factor, bacterial pheromones) using tandem mass spectroscopy (LC-MS/MS)

• development of a robust, reproducible and sensitive analysis for the measurement of low peptide concentrations in complex matrices (water, pure culture, coculture), verification of the need for preanalytical steps (SPE/GEC/ultrafiltration)
• monitoring the purity and structure of synthesized and expressed peptides (NMR, IR, MS-Scan)
• investigation of peptide stability at varying pH value, temperature and matrices, and if necessary, modification of stabilised additives
• development of a holistic analysis from the detection of the signal peptides up to the antibiotics (reconstruction of the signal-effect chain between the microorganisms), check the communication between bacteria and yeast and their influence on the implementation of the antibiotics (recording the concentration-time profile)
• investigation of the influence of the boundary conditions (pH value, temperature, ionic strength, media conditions) on the antibiotic conversion, characterization of antibiotic transformation products 

A short project video can be found here (in German):