Engineered Chemoautotrophic Cells for Inorganic Carbon Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for commercial production of carbon-based products rely on inefficient processes such as photosynthesis or naturally occurring chemoautotrophs with long doubling times and limited genetic manipulation capabilities, making them unsuitable for industrial bio-processing.
Innovation Solution
Engineering a heterotrophic organism with a modular metabolic architecture that includes energy conversion, carbon fixation, and carbon product biosynthetic pathways to convert inorganic carbon and energy into desired carbon-based products, using recombinant enzymes like formate dehydrogenase and sulfide-quinone oxidoreductase to produce reduced cofactors and convert inorganic carbon into central metabolites.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If photosynthetic organisms are used for carbon-based product production, then carbon fixation capability is provided, but energy conversion efficiency is low and light exposure requirements increase system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the energy source parameter from light (photosynthesis) to chemical energy (inorganic compounds), fundamentally altering the energy conversion pathway. This allows the system to bypass the inefficiencies of photosynthesis while maintaining carbon fixation capability through engineered metabolic pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/optical system of photosynthesis with a chemical energy conversion system. By introducing heterotrophic organisms with engineered carbon fixation pathways that utilize chemical energy from inorganic sources, the system substitutes photochemical conversion with chemically-driven metabolic processes.
2Use of energy by moving object
If naturally occurring chemoautotrophs are used, then inorganic energy utilization is achieved, but doubling time is long and genetic manipulation capability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the metabolic capabilities of two different organism types: the carbon fixation ability of autotrophs with the rapid growth and genetic manipulability of heterotrophs. This creates a hybrid system that exhibits both inorganic energy utilization and high productivity characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The engineered heterotrophic organism achieves multi-functionality by simultaneously performing rapid growth (heterotrophic characteristic) and inorganic carbon fixation with chemical energy utilization (autotrophic characteristic), combining functions that were previously separated in nature.
3Productivity
If heterotrophic organisms are used for commercial production, then rapid growth and genetic manipulation are achieved, but inorganic carbon conversion capability is lacking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the metabolic pathways into distinct functional modules: energy conversion pathways for chemical energy utilization and carbon fixation pathways for inorganic carbon conversion. This modular approach allows independent optimization and engineering of each function while maintaining overall system integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary engineered pathways that bridge the gap between heterotrophic metabolism and autotrophic carbon fixation. These intermediary pathways enable the transfer of carbon from inorganic sources through central metabolites to final carbon-based products, facilitating the integration of incompatible metabolic functions.
4Productivity
If petroleum-based processes are used for chemical production, then production efficiency is high, but harmful by-products are generated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful dependence on petroleum resources into a beneficial system by using inorganic carbon sources (such as carbon dioxide) and chemical energy from inorganic compounds. This transforms a harmful fossil fuel-based process into a sustainable bio-based process that produces fewer harmful by-products.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces expensive and environmentally damaging petroleum feedstocks with abundant, inexpensive inorganic carbon sources. This substitution uses readily available inorganic materials that can be converted into valuable carbon-based products without generating persistent harmful waste.
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
Enables efficient production of carbon-based products from inorganic carbon and energy, reducing production costs and environmental impact by avoiding petroleum-derived by-products, and enhancing productivity compared to traditional methods.
Implementation Method 1
The energy conversion pathway is capable of using energy from oxidation to produce a reduced cofactor
Implementation Method 2
The energy conversion pathway is capable of using energy from oxidation to produce a reduced cofactor
Implementation Method 3
The carbon fixation pathway is capable of converting inorganic carbon to a central metabolite using energy from the reduced cofactor
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure identifies pathways, mechanisms, systems and methods to confer chemoautotrophic production of carbon-based products of interest, such as sugars, alcohols, chemicals, amino acids, polymers, fatty acids and their derivatives, hydrocarbons, isoprenoids, and intermediates thereof, in organisms such that these organisms efficiently convert inorganic carbon to organic carbon-based products of interest using inorganic energy, such as formate, and in particular the use of organisms for the commercial production of various carbon-based products of interest.