Microbial Fermentation of Carbon Monoxide for Terpene Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing terpenes are expensive, unsustainable, and environmentally harmful, with isoprene production being particularly hazardous due to its flammability.
Innovation Solution
Development of recombinant microorganisms capable of producing terpenes and their precursors through microbial fermentation of a substrate comprising CO, specifically by expressing or over-expressing enzymes in the mevalonate (MVA) and DXS pathways.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If terpenes are produced from petrochemical sources or natural extraction, then production cost is reduced or product availability is improved, but environmental sustainability deteriorates and climate change contribution increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the fundamental production parameter from petrochemical extraction or natural harvesting to microbial fermentation using CO substrate. This parameter change enables sustainable terpene production by utilizing renewable biological systems that can consume industrial waste gases, thereby improving environmental sustainability while maintaining production volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts carbon monoxide, an industrial waste gas that contributes to climate change, into a valuable substrate for terpene production. By using CO as the carbon source for microbial fermentation, the process transforms a harmful emissions stream into a beneficial feedstock, simultaneously reducing environmental harm and enabling sustainable terpene synthesis.
2Productivity
If isoprene is produced using conventional methods, then production efficiency is maintained, but safety deteriorates due to fire and explosion risks
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces conventional petrochemical processing methods with a biological fermentation system. By using engineered microorganisms to produce isoprene through metabolic pathways, the process eliminates the need for high-temperature cracking and hazardous chemical reactions, thereby maintaining productivity while dramatically improving safety by removing fire and explosion risks.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces microbial cells as an intermediary system between the substrate and the final terpene product. The microorganisms serve as living factories that convert CO into isoprene through controlled metabolic pathways, providing a safe intermediate step that avoids direct handling of hazardous chemicals and high-energy processes.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If recombinant microorganisms are engineered to produce terpenes, then sustainability and safety are improved, but production cost and process complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the complex terpene synthesis pathway into discrete enzymatic steps that can be independently engineered and optimized. By dividing the metabolic pathway into manageable segments (such as the mevalonate pathway or MEP pathway enzymes), the complexity is reduced and each segment can be separately characterized, optimized, and assembled in the recombinant microorganism.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses universal microbial platforms (such as E. coli or yeast) that can be engineered to perform multiple functions including CO fixation, terpene precursor synthesis, and final terpene production. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity by using a single versatile host organism rather than requiring multiple specialized biological systems.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach provides a safer, more sustainable method for terpene production, utilizing carbon monoxide from industrial processes and achieving efficient metabolic flux and energy efficiency in terpene biosynthesis.
Implementation Method 1
microbial fermentation of a substrate comprising CO
Implementation Method 2
expressing or over-expressing enzymes in the mevalonate (MVA) and DXS pathways
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a method for producing a terpene or a precursor thereof by microbial fermentation. Typically, the method involves culturing a recombinant bacterium in the presence of a gaseous substrate whereby the bacterium produces a terpene or a precursor thereof, such as mevalonic acid, isopentenyl pyrophosphate, dimethylallyl pyrophosphate, isoprene, geranyl pyrophosphate, farnesyl pyrophosphate, and/or farnesene. The bacterium may comprise one or more exogenous enzymes, such as enzymes in mevalonate, DXS, or terpene biosynthesis pathways.