Red Light Supercharges Anti-Obesity Drug Precursor
Scientists in New Delhi found that red light dramatically boosted lipstatin production in Streptomyces , while reshaping its growth. The work points to illumination as a simple, non-invasive lever for improving yields in microbial biomanufacturing. The post Red Light Supercharges Anti-Obesity Drug Precursor appeared first on GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News .
Researchers in New Delhi discovered that altering the color of light used in fermentation can significantly boost the production of lipstatin, a precursor to the anti-obesity drug orlistat. Deepanshi Rajput, a biotechnology doctoral student, and Kashyap Kumar Dubey, a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, studied Streptomyces toxytricini, a soil bacterium that naturally produces lipstatin.
The team grew the bacterium under various lighting conditions, including red, green, indigo, blue, yellow, violet, orange, and white light, with darkness as a control. They found that red light resulted in a 6 g/L production of lipstatin, compared to 1.2 g/L under white light and 0.02 g/L in darkness—a five-fold improvement over white light and a 300-fold increase over the dark control.
The researchers noted that red illumination not only increased lipstatin production but also altered the physical growth of the bacteria, making them smaller and more dispersed. This change in pellet size could improve nutrient and oxygen flow during industrial fermentation, potentially enhancing the production of secondary metabolites like lipstatin.
The team identified two possible red-light-sensing proteins in the bacterium, but they cautioned that a direct causal link between altered pellet structure and increased lipstatin production had not been established. Further functional studies and validation in larger bioreactors are needed to confirm the findings. Nonetheless, the results suggest that adjusting the light conditions could be a simple and non-invasive way to influence the production of valuable compounds in fermentation, potentially offering a new control parameter for manufacturers.
Written by urgent.news from GEN Biotechnology's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
