Recombinant Host Cells for C4 Dicarboxylic Acid Fermentation
Solution Overview
Problem
The production of C4 dicarboxylic acids through chemical synthesis generates harmful waste by-products, necessitating the development of alternative methods such as fermentation for their production.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the use of recombinant host cells transformed with specific nucleotide sequences encoding pyruvate carboxylase protein, particularly from Rhizopus origin, to produce C4 dicarboxylic acids like malic, fumaric, and succinic acids through fermentation, utilizing a vector with a promoter for expressing the pyruvate carboxylase protein.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If chemical synthesis is used to produce dicarboxylic acids, then production efficiency is improved, but harmful waste by-products are generated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful chemical synthesis process into a beneficial biological fermentation process. By using genetically engineered microorganisms to produce dicarboxylic acids, the method transforms a polluting industrial process into an environmentally friendly biological process that generates minimal waste and can utilize renewable feedstocks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental production parameters from chemical to biological. This involves switching from chemical reagents and catalysts to living cellular systems with specific metabolic pathways. The production conditions change from harsh chemical environments to controlled fermentation processes, fundamentally altering how dicarboxylic acids are synthesized while eliminating harmful by-products.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If fermentation is used to produce dicarboxylic acids, then environmental friendliness is improved, but production complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the complex fermentation process into distinct functional components: genetic engineering of the microorganism, cultivation optimization, and product recovery. This segmentation allows each aspect to be independently optimized and controlled, reducing overall process complexity despite the biological nature of the system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses genetically engineered microorganisms as intermediary systems that bridge renewable feedstocks and dicarboxylic acid products. These engineered cells act as biological factories that simplify the overall process by consolidating multiple chemical transformation steps into a single cellular metabolic pathway, reducing the need for complex downstream processing.
3Productivity
If recombinant cells with pyruvate carboxylase are used, then C4 dicarboxylic acid production is improved, but genetic manipulation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs universal genetic engineering tools and techniques that can be applied across different microorganism types. The pyruvate carboxylase gene expression system is designed to be broadly applicable, allowing the same approach to enhance C4 dicarboxylic acid production in various host organisms, thereby reducing the need for organism-specific complex manipulation protocols.
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 allows for the production of C4 dicarboxylic acids while avoiding harmful waste by-products, enabling their use in various industrial and food applications while being environmentally friendly.
Implementation Method 1
production of C4 dicarboxylic acids by fermentation
Implementation Method 2
pyruvate carboxylase protein
Data Source
AI summary
Methods of producing C4 dicarboxylic acids are disclosed. Nucleotide sequences encoding pyruvate carboxylase and uses of such nucleotide sequences in the production of C4 dicarboxylic acids are further disclosed.