E. coli dons polymer 'Superman cape' for sustainable chemical production
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Trillions of bacteria work in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, helping produce everything from beer and facial creams to biodiesel and fertilizer. The pharmaceutical industry, in particular, relies heavily on bacteria for producing substances like insulin and penicillin.
Harnessing bacteria's industrial contributions has revolutionized global health, but their work comes at a high energy cost. Additionally, solvents and continuous production of new bacteria are often necessary, as they don't last long in their jobs.
Changzhu Wu, a chemist and associate professor at the Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Pharmacy, University of Southern Denmark, is focused on making industrial bacteria more robust and useful. His goal is to reduce the energy, time, and unwanted chemicals required to maintain bacteria, while also making them reusable so they can work longer before needing to be replaced.
