Engineered Microbial Co-Production of Isopropanol and BDO

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for producing isopropanol, n-propanol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,3-butanediol, and methylacrylic acid rely heavily on petrochemical routes, which are costly and inefficient, with no existing microorganisms capable of producing these chemicals in significant quantities from sugars.

Innovation Solution

Development of non-naturally occurring microbial organisms engineered with specific exogenous nucleic acids encoding enzymes for pathways to produce isopropanol, n-propanol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,3-butanediol, and methylacrylic acid, allowing for co-production and efficient synthesis from glucose under anaerobic conditions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If petrochemical routes are used to produce isopropanol, n-propanol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,3-butanediol, and methylacrylic acid, then production capacity is sufficient, but production costs are high and the process is inefficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction efficiencyVSAvoidproduction cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces petrochemical mechanical/chemical processes with biological fermentation processes using engineered microorganisms. The microorganisms convert sugars into the target chemicals through metabolic pathways, substituting traditional high-cost petrochemical routes with a more efficient and cost-effective biological system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the fundamental production parameters by shifting from petrochemical feedstocks to sugar-based fermentation substrates. By engineering microbial metabolic pathways and optimizing fermentation conditions, the system achieves high-yield production of multiple chemicals simultaneously, improving both efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If single-product fermentation pathways are engineered in microorganisms, then specific chemical production is achieved, but overall productivity and resource utilization are limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvechemical production yieldVSAvoidpathway engineering complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates microorganisms with multi-functional metabolic pathways that can simultaneously produce multiple chemicals (isopropanol, n-propanol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,3-butanediol, and methylacrylic acid) from a single sugar substrate. This universal production capability increases overall productivity while the modular pathway design manages engineering complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges multiple independent chemical production pathways into a single integrated microbial system. By combining different metabolic routes that converge on common intermediates or byproducts, the system achieves co-production of multiple chemicals, maximizing resource utilization and overall yield.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Adaptability or versatility

If aerobic conditions are used for chemical production in microorganisms, then oxygen is required for metabolism, but this increases process complexity and reduces sustainability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflexibility in production conditionsVSAvoidoxygen consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the traditional aerobic metabolism approach by engineering anaerobic fermentation pathways. Instead of requiring oxygen for chemical production, the microorganisms use anaerobic metabolic routes that produce the target chemicals while generating reducing equivalents through alternative mechanisms, eliminating oxygen dependency and simplifying process requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

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

The microbial organisms achieve maximum theoretical yields of these chemicals, providing a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to traditional petrochemical methods, with the added advantage of being completely redox-balanced and anaerobic, reducing the need for oxygen.

Implementation Method 1

allowing for co-production and efficient synthesis from glucose under anaerobic conditions

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFermentation: Fermentation

Data Source

PatentUS8715971B2Microorganisms and methods for the co-production of isopropanol and 1,4-butanediol

Publication Date: 2014.05.06 GENOMATICA INC

AI summary

The invention provides a non-naturally occurring microbial organism having n-propanol and isopropanol pathways, 1,4-butanediol (14-BDO) and isopropanol pathways, 1,3-butanediol (13-BDO) and isopropanol pathways or methylacrylic acid (MAA) and isopropanolpathways. The microbial organism contains at least one exogenous nucleic acid encoding an enzyme in each of the respective n-propanol, 14-BDO, 13-BDO or MAA and isopropanol pathways. The invention additionally provides a method for co-producing n-propanol and isopropanol, 14-BDO and isopropanol, 13-BDO and isopropanol or MAA and isopropanol. The method can include culturing an n-propanol and an isopropanol co-producing microbial organism, where the microbial organism expresses at least one exogenous nucleic acid encoding an n-propanol, an isopropanol, a 14-BDO, a 13-BDO and/or a MAA pathway enzyme in a sufficient amount to produce each of the respective products, under conditions and for a sufficient period of time to produce each of the respective products.