Harnessing the unique capabilities of microorganisms for the production of value-added chemicals—commonly referred to as Biomanufacturing—represents a critical technological frontier that not only mitigates greenhouse gas emissions but also stimulates economic growth. Japan has been a global leader in Biomanufacturing, boasting a diverse and medium-scale repertoire of products. However, individual manufacturers have driven process development, leading to prolonged development periods and high production costs due to limited economies of scale.
Addressing these challenges requires the discovery of novel microorganisms with unique functionalities and the development of innovative engineering technologies for practical manufacturing applications. Our project aims to tackle these obstacles through the following initiatives:

1) Development of “basic cells” equipped with essential standard functions for Biomanufacturing.
2) Exploration and engineering of non-model microorganisms that exhibit unique functionalities.
3) Advancement of the next generation Design-Build-Test-Learn (DBTL) cycle.

Research