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Bioremediation of complex organic pollutants by engineered Vibrio natriegens

Author

Listed:
  • Cong Su

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Haotian Cui

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University)

  • Weiwei Wang

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University)

  • Yong Liu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Zhenyu Cheng

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University)

  • Chen Wang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Mengqiao Yang

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University)

  • Liwen Qu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Ye Li

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University)

  • Yuejin Cai

    (Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences)

  • Siyang He

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University)

  • Jiaxin Zheng

    (Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences)

  • Pingping Zhao

    (Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences)

  • Ping Xu

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University)

  • Junbiao Dai

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences)

  • Hongzhi Tang

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University)

Abstract

Industrial wastewater, petroleum pollution and plastic contamination are significant threats to global marine biosecurity because of their toxic, mutagenic and persistent nature1. The use of microorganisms in bioremediation has been constrained by the complexity of organic pollutants and limited tolerance to saline stress2. In this study, we used synthetic biology to engineer Vibrio natriegens into a strain capable of bioremediating complex organic pollutants in saline wastewater and soils. The competence master regulator gene tfoX was inserted into chromosome 1 of the V. natriegens strain Vmax and overexpressed to enhance DNA uptake and integration. Degradation gene clusters were chemically synthesized and assembled in yeast. We developed a genome engineering method (iterative natural transformation based on Vmax with amplified tfoX effect) to transfer five gene clusters (43 kb total) into Vmax. The engineered strain has the ability to bioremediate five organic pollutants (biphenyl, phenol, naphthalene, dibenzofuran and toluene) covering a broad substrate range, from monocyclic to multicyclic compounds, in industrial wastewater samples from a chlor–alkali plant and a petroleum refinery.

Suggested Citation

  • Cong Su & Haotian Cui & Weiwei Wang & Yong Liu & Zhenyu Cheng & Chen Wang & Mengqiao Yang & Liwen Qu & Ye Li & Yuejin Cai & Siyang He & Jiaxin Zheng & Pingping Zhao & Ping Xu & Junbiao Dai & Hongzhi T, 2025. "Bioremediation of complex organic pollutants by engineered Vibrio natriegens," Nature, Nature, vol. 642(8069), pages 1024-1033, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:642:y:2025:i:8069:d:10.1038_s41586-025-08947-7
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-08947-7
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