Metabolic Engineering
Metabolic Engineering - Related Videos
00:52
What is Metabolism?
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2019
Overview Metabolism represents all of the chemical activity in a cell, including reactions that build molecules (anabolism) and those that break molecules down (catabolism). Anabolic reactions require energy, whereas catabolic reactions provide it. Thus, metabolism describes how cells transform energy through a variety of chemical reactions, which are often made more efficient with the help of enzymes. Metabolism Is the Sum of All of the Chemical Reactions That Take Place in an Organism
05:41
Metabolic Profile Analysis of Zebrafish Embryos
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Cited by 42 •
2013
Zebrafish represent a powerful vertebrate model that has been under-utilised for metabolic studies. Here we describe a rapid way to measure the in vivo metabolic profile of developing zebrafish that allows the comparison of different mitochondrial function parameters between genetically or pharmacologically manipulated embryos, thereby increasing the applicability of this organism.
16:41
Experimental Approaches to Tissue Engineering
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Cited by 2 •
2007
10:19
An Introduction to Cell Metabolism
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2023
In cells, critical molecules are either built by joining together individual units like amino acids or nucleotides, or broken down into smaller components. Respectively, the reactions responsible for this are referred to as anabolic and catabolic. These reactions require or produce energy typically in the form of a “high-energy” molecule called ATP. Together, these processes make up “Cell Metabolism,” and are hallmarks of healthy, living cells.JoVE’s introduction to cell metabolism briefly...
08:28
Metabolic Labeling
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2023
Metabolic labeling is used to probe the biochemical transformations and modifications that occur in a cell. This is accomplished by using chemical analogs that mimic the structure of natural biomolecules. Cells utilize analogs in their endogenous biochemical processes, producing compounds that are labeled. The label allows for the incorporation of detection and affinity tags, which can then be used to elucidate metabolic pathways using other biochemical analytical techniques, such as SDS-PAGE...
FAQs
The strategy changes the activity or abundance of pathway components so cellular flux, meaning the movement of metabolites through a pathway, favors the desired molecule. Researchers may modify genes encoding enzymes, transporters, or regulatory proteins, while also considering cellular energy and cofactor requirements. This coordinated control helps increase production without treating the target pathway as isolated from overall cell function.
These components influence different stages of cellular production. Enzymes control chemical conversions, transporters affect the movement of molecules, and regulatory proteins help control pathway activity. Altering any one of them can change how resources move through the system, but effective designs must account for their combined effects. Their roles explain why pathway modification requires coordination rather than a single genetic change.
Redirecting production toward a target molecule can change the cell’s demand for energy and cofactors, which support metabolic reactions. If those requirements are not balanced, pathway changes may affect overall cellular behavior and limit the intended outcome. Considering these constraints allows researchers to evaluate engineered pathways as integrated biological systems instead of focusing only on the final product.
A design generally begins by selecting a desired molecule and examining the pathway structure and its regulation. Researchers then identify relevant genes encoding enzymes, transporters, or regulatory proteins and modify them to redirect flux. The engineered system is assessed in relation to product formation, cellular energy, and cofactor balance. This process connects genetic changes with measurable production outcomes.
Applications extend across engineered microbes, plants, and cultured cells, allowing researchers to match a biological system with a particular production goal. These systems can be used to investigate cellular metabolism or to produce valuable molecules. The choice of organism also provides biological context, because pathway organization and regulation can shape how the engineered system behaves.
Metabolic engineering supports production of pharmaceuticals, biofuels, specialty chemicals, and other valuable compounds. Beyond manufacturing, it helps reveal how pathway structure and regulation influence cellular behavior. These outcomes connect practical production with biological discovery, while also contributing to efforts to develop more sustainable biomanufacturing systems and improve the performance of biological production processes.