Chassis Engineering

Chassis Engineering

The main objective of MycoSynVac is to rationally design a non-virulent M. pneumoniae to obtain a universal chassis optimized to grow in a serum-free medium in bioreactors. We have identified main virulence and pathogenicity factors in M. pneumoniae. We will identify other putative pathogenic and virulence factors by comparing the essentiality of all M. pneumoniae genes with the sequence variability of 22 clinical isolates of M. pneumoniae. These genes will be validated by cell infection assays. M. pneumoniae has an 8-hour doubling time similar to that of other species used for vaccination. However, there are other Mycoplasma species that divide faster. Decreasing the doubling time will significantly improve the industrial efficiency per fermentor. We will follow three approaches to increase growth rate.