Towards synthetic diatoms: The Phaeodactylum tricornutum Pt-syn 1.0 project
Mark Pampuch, E. Walker, Bogumil J. Karas
Abstract
Synthetic genomics is an emerging field where large-scale DNA engineering is used to study and produce organisms of interest. Here we propose the marine diatom, Phaeodactylum tricornutum, as a candidate for a synthetic genome project and describe some of the strategies to bring this design, termed Pt-syn1.0, to life. This project is fueled by the emergence of a completed genome assembly, powerful methods for manipulating large-scale DNA, and effective DNA delivery methods. We propose that a recombination-deficient strain be created as a prerequisite to downstream genome manipulation to preserve any genetic modifications. In addition, the synthetic genome will be split between 50 chromosomes of approximately 500 kbp each to allow for easy construction and delivery. The establishment of a Pt-syn1.0 strain will lay the foundation for a streamlined engineering platform for P. tricornutum, alleviating many of the current constraints, and would drive diatom research and biotechnology into the next era.