Project: Continuous bioprocessing of microbial co-cultures: directing population by nutrient pulsing based on single cell data

Acronym	ContiBio (Reference Number: 34)
Duration	01/01/2021 - 01/12/2023
Project Topic	Contibio is focused on the design of continuous bioprocesses involving co-cultures of different microbes. Indeed, for designing sustainable bioprocesses, the cultivation mode resulting in the highest time-space yield have to be promoted and, continuous processes would solve several problems in many branches of biotechnology. However, this mode of operation typically suffers from population instabilities on the short and long-term, due to natural phenotypic and genotypic diversification. For addressing these instabilities, automated single cell technologies and Artificial Intelligence-based control device will be set-up. These technologies will be applied to complex biological systems involving two microbial strainsUltimately, not only the process itself will be significantly improved, but also the capabilities of the biological systems (increase of metabolic potential, population stability…). As a generalization of the proof-of-concept, three different combinations of microbes will be controlled in continuous mode for demonstrating the usefulness of the ContiBio approach for different biotechnological applications, i.e. sourdough formulation, recombinant product formation and production of bio-hydrogen based on renewable substrates (carbon dioxide).
Network	ERA CoBioTech
Call	3rd Joint Call on Biotechnologies

Number	Name	Role	Country
1	University of Liège Gembloux	Coordinator	France
2	Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ	Partner	Germany
3	Puratos NV	Partner	Belgium