TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - BIOTECHNOLOGY - Preparation (claimed): Producing a non-naturally occurring microorganism having stable growth-coupled production of succinate comprises identifying in silico a set of metabolic modifications requiring succinate production during exponential growth, and genetically modifying a microorganism to contain the set of metabolic modifications requiring succinate production. The set of metabolic modifications are identified by an in silico method selected from OptKnoek or SimPheny. It also comprises functional disruption of one or more metabolic reactions. The method further comprises culturing the genetically modified microorganism. It further comprises adaptively evolving the genetically modified microorganism under conditions requiring succinate production.Preferred Microorganism: The gene disruptions comprise a metabolic modification given in the specification (Table 1). Preferably, the gene disruptions comprise a deletion of the one or more genes. The non-naturally occurring microorganism is selected from microorganisms having a metabolic modification given in the specification (Table 1). The microorganism comprises a bacterium, yeast, or fungus. Preferably, the bacteria comprises a species selected from Escherichia coli, Anaerobiospirillum succiniciproducens, A. succinogenes, M. succinicproducens, R. etli, Bacillus subtilis, Corynebacterium glutamicum, Gluconobacter oxydans, Zymomonas mobilis, Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus plantarum, Streptomyces coelicolor, Clostridium acetobulylicum, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Pseudomonas putida. Preferably, the yeast comprises a species selected from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Kluyveromyces lactis, Kluyveromyces marxianus, Aspergillus terreus, Aspergillus niger, or Pichia pastoris. Specifically, the non-naturally occurring microorganism comprises a set of metabolic modifications obligatory coupling succinate production to growth of the microorganism, the set of metabolic modifications comprising disruption of one or more genes selected from the genes: (a) adhE, ldhA, (b) adhE, ldhA, ackA-pta, (c) pfl, ldhA, (d) pfl, idhA, adhE, (e) ackA-pta, pykF, atpF, sdhA, (f) ackA-pta, pykF, ptsG, or (g) ackA-pta, pvkF, ptsG, adhE, ldhA, or its ortholog, where the microorganism exhibits stable growth-coupled production of succinate. The genes encoding the metabolic modification (e) ackA-pta, pykF, atpF, sdhA further comprises disruption of at least one gene selected from pykA, atpH, sdhB, or dhaKLM. The genes encoding the metabolic modification (f) ackA-pta, pykF, ptsG further comprises disruption of at least one gene selected from pykA or dhaKLM. The genes encoding the metabolic modification (g) ackA-pta, pykF, ptsG, adhE, idhA further comprises disruption of at least one gene selected from pykA or dhaKLM.Preferred Method: Producing succinate coupled to the growth of a microorganism comprises culturing under exponential growth phase in an amount of nutrients and media a non-naturally occurring microorganism comprising a set of metabolic modifications obligatory coupling succinate production to growth of the microorganism, the set of metabolic modifications comprising disruption of one or more genes selected from: (i) adhE, ldhA, (ii) adhE, ldhA, ackA-pta, (iii) pfl, ldhA, (iv) pfl, idhA, adhE, (v) ackA-pta, pykF, atpF, sdhA, (vi) ackA-pta, pykF, ptsG, or (vii) ackA-pta, pvkF, ptsG, adhE, ldhA, or its ortholog, where the microorganism exhibits stable growth-coupled production of succinate; and isolating succinate produced from the non-naturally occurring microorganism. EXAMPLE - Strains were constructed using Escherichia coli K-12 MG1655 as the wild-type strain into which the deletions were introduced. The knockouts were integrated one-by-one into the recipient strain allowing the accumulation of several deletions. The strains were constructed by incorporating in-frame deletions using homologous recombination via the X Red recombinase system. The first strain was constructed with deletions in pfl, ldh, and adhE while the second strain had deletions in ackA-pta, pykA, pykF, dhaKLM, and ptsG.