title: Lactose-Derived Prebiotics: A Process Perspective
author: Andrs Illanes
description: Chemical Engineer (Universidad Catlica de Valparaso), M.SC Biochemical Engineering (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Full Professor of the Biochemical Engineering School and Head of the Biocatalysis Group at Biotechnology Nucleus of the Pontificia Universidad Catlica de Valparaso. Visiting professor at universities in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Panama, Peru Spain and Uruguay. Author of more than 100 publications in ISI journals and several book chapters, editor of two books in enzyme biocatalysis. Member of the editorial boards of Electronic Journal of Biotechnology (president), Process Biochemistry, Latin American Journal of Pharmacy and Colombian Journal of Biotechnology. 1997 Regional Award in Science and Technology. 2012 Appointed Honorary Professor at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Per. Fields of expertise: enzyme biocatalysis, enzyme immobilization, bioreactor design. Recent fields of work are related to enzyme catalysis in organic synthesis, namely synthesis of semi-synthetic -lactam antibiotics and synthesis of lactose-derived oligosaccharides.<br /><br />Department alumnus and Wolfson student from Chile, Dr Raul Conejeros, undertook his PhD studies on Simulation, Optimisation and Control of Biological Process Systems. He was funded by Agencia Cooperation International in Chile. In 2009 he was officially given the full professorship at his current University, the School of Biochemical Engineering in Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso, Chile, where he started working back in 2005.
zlib_text:  
  Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 3615; doi:10.3390/ijms21103615 
  www.mdpi.com/journal/ijms 
  Article 
  Production and Sensing of Butyrate in a Probiotic 
  Escherichia coli Strain 
  Yanfen Bai and Thomas J. Mansell * 
  Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA; 
  baifen118@gmail.com 
  * Correspondence: mansell@iastate.edu; Tel.: +1-515-294-7177 
  Received: 29 April 2020; Accepted: 18 May 2020; Published: 20 May 2020 
  Abstract: The short-chain fatty acid butyrate plays critical roles in human gut health, affecting 
  immunomodulation, cell differentiation, and apoptosis, while also serving as the preferred carbon 
  source for colon cells. In this work, we have engineered a model probiotic organism, Escherichia coli 
  Nissle 1917 (EcN, serotype O6:K5:H1), to produce butyrate from genomic loci up to approximately 
  1 g/L (11 mM). Then, for real-time monitoring of butyrate production in cultures, we developed a 
  high-throughput biosensor that responds to 