Vectordesign
Objective of this project is the design of novel plasmid vectors for heterologous gene expression or for stable genomic integration in lactic acid bacteria.
In view of the industrial and medical importance of LAB, improvement of strains properties is of major interest. One aim is to design transfer vectors for stable integration at specific genome sites for pathway engineering. Also extra-chromosomal vectors with various origins of replication will be constructed for recombinant protein expression and compared regarding their replication efficiency. Questions about gene dosage, locus of integration and the effect of multiple recombinant gene expression on growth and physiology should be answered. Antibiotic free selection and plasmid maintenance systems will be developed to fulfill all requirements of bio-safety.