Systems Biology of Clostridium acetobutylicum (COSMIC)

Systems Biology of Clostridium acetobutylicum (COSMIC)

Clostridium are bacteria which evolved before the earth had an oxygen atmosphere. To them the air we breathe is a poison. To survive they produce a spore resting stage, resistant to physical and chemical agents. Some species cause devastating diseases, such as the superbug Clostridium difficile. On the other hand, most are totally harmless, and make a wide range of chemicals useful to man. The best example is Clostridium acetobutylicum which makes butanol.

 Butanol is an alcohol, which may be used as a replacement for petrol. Despite their importance, our understanding of their biology has lagged behind that of the more recently evolved bacteria which "breathe" oxygen. The aim of COSMIC is to use a systems biology approach to allow more accurate predictions of the behaviour of clostridia at the cellular level.