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 organism[1][1]–[3][2], 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 toolkit[4][3]. 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. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. [1]: #ref-1 [2]: #ref-3 [3]: #ref-4