Currently, there has been limited use of genetic engineering for waste treatment. In this work, we are developing a procedure for the in situ treatment of toxic organophosphate wastes using the enzyme parathion hydrolase. Since this strategy is based on the use of an enzyme and not viable microorganisms, recombinant DNA technology could be used without the problems associated with releasing genetically altered microorganisms into the environment. The gene coding for parathion hydrolase was cloned into a Streptomyces lividans, and this transformed bacterium was observed to express and excrete this enzyme. Subsequently, fermentation conditions were developed to enhance enzyme production, and this fermentation was scaled-up to the pilot scale. The cell-free culture fluid (i.e., a nonpurified enzyme solution) was observed to be capable of effectively hydrolyzing organophosphate compounds under laboratory and simulated in situ conditions.

Protein-secreting procaryotic host organisms are currently being sought as alternatives to Escherichia coli for recombinant processing. In this study we examined how manipulation of the cultivation conditions can enhance heterologous protein production by Streptomyces lividans. The recombinant S. lividans used in this study expressed and excreted a Flavobacterium enzyme capable of hydrolyzing organophosphates. Initial shake-flask studies demonstrated that supplementing Luria-Bertani medium with moderate amounts of glucose (30 g/l), led to improved enzyme production. In fermentor studies with controlled pH, a further twofold increase in production was observed when glucose was fed continuously as compared to batch cultivation. This improved production in the glucose-fed culture may be related to a reduced accumulation of acids. Continuous feeding of both glucose and tryptone led to a further sixfold increase in production. In addition to enhancing production 25-fold, the efficiency of enzyme production and the specific activity of the excreted enzyme were also improved by glucose and tryptone feeding. These results demonstrate that in addition to genetic manipulations, optimization of cultivation conditions can lead to significant improvements in the production of heterologous proteins from Streptomyces.

A model was formulated to examine specific experimental data of growth and heterologous product formation with recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae while incorporating available literature. The model simulated dry cell weight, glucose, ethanol, dissolved oxygen, human Epidermal Growth Factor (hEGF) production, fraction of recombinant cells, oxygen uptake rate, and carbon dioxide production rate for batch, fed batch, and hollow fiber bioreactor configurations. Nineteen differential equations, 24 analytical equations, and 48 parameters were required. Due to the lack of detailed studies needed for the ADH-II and the TCA enzyme pool, 8 of the 48 parameters were adjustable. Simulation results are presented for verification of the model which successfully described the observed phenomena for the fermentations of S. cerevisiae strain AB103. 1 pYalphaEF-25. Also presented is a statistical analysis of the model's fit and model parameter sensitivity.