Acetaminophen production in the edible, filamentous cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis

Spirulina is the common name for the edible, non-heterocystous, filamentous cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis that is grown industrially as a food supplement, animal feedstock, and pigment source. Although there are many applications for engineering this organism1–3, until recently no genetic tools or reproducible transformation methods have been published. While recent work showed the production of a diversity of proteins in A. platensis, including single domain antibodies for oral delivery, there remains a need for a modular, characterized genetic toolkit4. Here, we establish and characterize a genetic toolkit and reproducible method for the transformation of A. platensis and engineer this bacterium to produce acetaminophen as proof-of-concept for small molecule production in an edible host from CO2, H2O, and light. This work opens A. platensis to the wider scientific community for future engineering as a functional food for nutritional enhancement, modification of organoleptic traits, and production of pharmaceuticals for oral delivery.