CSIC Doctoral Network in Synthetic Biology: Engineering Biomolecular and Cellular Systems CALL #1 – Doctoral Project Proposals

Many economically important metabolites, from pharmaceutical drugs to food additives, are only present in minute amounts in wild or semi-wild plant species. Following gene for the identification of missing steps in the corresponding biosynthetic pathways and integration of the identified genes into synthetic gene circuits, entire metabolic pathways can be reconstructed in more tractable hosts. In this project we will focus, among others, on the apocarotenoid azafrin, a healthy food colorant extracted from the roots of wild hemiparasitic plants whose commercial production remains challenging due to the scarcity of natural sources and the limited understanding of its biosynthetic pathway.