Thermus thermophilus is a thermophilic bacterium that thrives at temperatures above 80�C. Here, we demonstrate the potential of using T. thermophilus for the production of volatile biofuels. T. thermophilus has a high growth rate (0.30 1/hr on minimum medium), high biomass yield (similar to E. coli), and shows high transformation competence making it amendable to genetic manipulations. A current bottleneck is the limited knowledge regarding its metabolism and growth characteristics. Here, we reconstructed and validated the metabolic network model of T. thermophilus HB8 using 13C tracer experiments and characterized its metabolism using 13C-metabolic flux analysis. We performed tolerance studies to evaluate the potential of using T. thermophilus for the production of biofuels, including short chain alcohols such as ethanol, n-butanol, and isobutanol. T. thermophilus showed high tolerance to alcohols in the medium. Taken together, these results support the biotechnological potential of this organism for efficient biofuels production at high temperatures.

Thermus thermophilus: A model thermophilic organism for biofuels production

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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