| Description |
Salinivibrio sp. EAGSL was isolated from the Great Salt Lake in 2017 and has since been the focus of promising research in the field of microbial electrochemistry. Namely, S. EAGSL is an organism with both halotolerance and electroactivity, giving it a unique ability to bridge the gap between power output and halotolerance in Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs). While studying the whole genome annotation, it was discovered that Salinivibrio sp. EAGSL has biosynthetic gene clusters of interest that explain its halophilic and electroactive nature. One of these biosynthetic gene clusters is the synthetic pathway for ectoine, a small organic molecule. Ectoine is an osmolyte that has been termed a value-added chemical due to its ability to stabilize proteins and other biomolecules in varying conditions, proving its importance for the biochemical and cosmetic industries. Other halophilic bacteria, including Halomonas elongata, have been previously used for industrial production of ectoine. Herein, we evaluate the ectoine production from Salinivibrio sp. EAGSL and offer discussion for its future applications. Specifically, this study seeks to confirm and quantify S. EAGSL's capacity for ectoine production, shedding light on this specific mechanism of halotolerance, and examining production levels at different salt concentrations. |
