Corynebacterium glutamicum is a soil bacterium that is used industrially for large-scale production of glutamic acid and lysine through fermentation. It was discovered in 1957 by Japanese researchers who found strains that could produce up to 10g/L of glutamic acid. Through genetic engineering, modern strains can produce over 100g/L. C. glutamicum extracts alpha-ketoglutarate from its metabolic pathway to produce glutamic acid through reductive amination. It is believed that low levels of an enzyme in its metabolic cycle force it to overproduce glutamic acid. C. glutamicum is now a major industrial producer of glutamic acid and lysine, with