Question

Metabolic engineering is the branch of biotechnology for improvement of cellular activities by manipulation of enzymatic, transport and regulatory functions of cells using recombinant DNA technology. Still this science has limitations due to

• A. Difficulty in making industrial strains by DNA recombinant technology.
• B. Complex interaction of metabolic network.
• C. Both of (A) and (B).
• D. None of the above.

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

Both of (A) and (B).

Metabolic engineering is generally referred to as the targeted and purposeful alteration of metabolic pathways found in an organism in order to better understand and utilize cellular pathways for chemical transformation, energy transduction and supramolecular assembly. Microbial catalysts are not as malleable as those in synthetic organic chemistry and metabolic engineers face many difficulties in the development of microbial catalysts: (i) cost and availability of starting materials (e.g., carbon substrates); (ii) metabolic route and corresponding genes encoding the enzymes in the pathway to produce the desired product; (iii) most appropriate microbial host; (iv) robust and responsive genetic control system for the desired pathways and chosen host; (v) methods for debugging and debottle necking the constructed pathway; and (vi) ways to maximize yields, titres, and productivities. The practical applications of biocatalytic chemical conversions are often restricted due to their complexities involving the unpredictability of product yield and the troublesome controls in fermentation processes.