Flux balance analysis for maximizing polyhydroxyalkanoate production in Pseudomonas putida

The aim of this work is to develop process strategies to understand the behaviour of Psendomonas putida for cost-effective synthesis of mcl-PHA with the help of metabolic flux model developed using linear programming. After screening and selection from various carbon sources in shake flask experiments, 2 carbon sources, namely, glucose and glycerol were selected for further studies. The possibilities for higher PHA biosynthesis were illustrated by the flux balance analysis (FBA) supplemented with continuous cultivation data. The optimal ratio between glucose, glycerol and nitrogen is obtained by simulation of the metabolic model. But the cost of raw materials is the tailback for the cost-effective production of mcl-PHA. Hence, a metabolic flux distribution model was developed for dual substrate utilization by co-feeding glucose and glycerol for optimal PHA synthesis. Response surface results indicated that the highest PHA accumulation conditions for glucose and glycerol.