Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37777723›Full record

ArticleMicrobial cell factories2023

Exploring the potential of Bacillus subtilis as cell factory for food ingredients and special chemicals.

Taichi Chen, Stanley Brul, Jeroen Hugenholtz

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Microbial cell factories, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Poly(ACS applied bio materials · 2026
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Response surface methodology to optimize theJournal of food science and technology · 2025
    Article
  8. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Taichi ChenMolecular Biology and Microbial Food Safety, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1098 XH, The Netherlands.
Stanley BrulMolecular Biology and Microbial Food Safety, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1098 XH, The Netherlands. s.brul@uva.nl.
Jeroen HugenholtzMolecular Biology and Microbial Food Safety, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1098 XH, The Netherlands. jeroen.hugenholtz@nopalm-ingredients.com.

Funding

Chinese Scholarship Council 202006790031
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBacillus subtilis has been established as model microorganism for fundamental research in the laboratory on protein production/secretion and sporulation and as model bacterium for controlling spoilage in the food industry. It has also been used for production of (commercial) enzymes and several secondary metabolites such as vitamins. However, this doesn't fully reflect the potential of B. subtilis as a cell-factory. Here, various strains of B. subtilis, including food-grade, spore-deficient strains and industrially used strains, were compared for their growth and metabolic potential. Industry-relevant parameters were analyzed for all strains under various aeration regimes, under anaerobic conditions, in various nutritious and nutrient-limited cultivation media, with and without organic nitrogen sources, and with and without sugar.

resultsPractical experiments were conducted to compare industrial relevant properties like growth rates, intracellular components and extracellular metabolite profile of different B. subtilis strains. Based on growth flexibility in different media, we found that some strains like NCIB3610 and DSM1092 are adapted to inorganic or organic nitrogen source utilization, which is highly relevant when considering a biorefinery approach using various cheap and abundant waste/sidestreams. Secondly, spore-deficient strains such as 3NA, 168 S and PY79S, showed advantages in microbial protein and acetolactate pathway expression, which is associated with applications in food industry for protein supplement and diacetyl production. Lastly, WB800 and PY79S exhibited potential for fermentative production of dipicolinic acid, 2,3-butanediol and lactic acid that could serve as precursors for biopolymers.

conclusionThis study demonstrates the broad potential for more extensive industrial use of Bacillus subtilis in the (bio-based) chemical industry for use of sidestreams, in the personal care industry, in the food industry for food additive production, and in the bio-sustainable industry for biofuel and bio-degradable plastic precursors production. In addition, selecting different B. subtilis strains for specific purposes makes full use of the diversity of this species and increases the potential of B. subtilis in its contribution to the bio-based economy.

Indexed as

Bacillus subtilisFood IngredientsBiopolymersFermentationNitrogenBiopolymersFood IngredientsNitrogenBacillus subtilisFermentationPrimary metabolites

Identifiers

PMID37777723
PMCPMC10542680

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.