DAM-2: A novel enzyme for Nylon-6,6 recycling

DAM-2：一种用于尼龙 6,6 回收的新型酶

• 批准号: 10077828
• 金额: $ 44.59万
• 依托单位: EPOCH BIODESIGN LTD
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Collaborative R&D
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=10077828
• 关键词: DAM; novel; enzyme; Nylon; recycling

**Challenge:** Nylon-6,6 is produced by the esterification of adipic acid (ADP) and hexamethylenediamine (HMDA) monomers via energy intensive industrial processes (consuming between 80-60 MJ per tonne Nylon-6,6 manufactured). Annual global Nylon-6,6 manufacturing releases ~12 million tonne CO2 and ~2 million tonnes of nitrous oxide (NOx).75% of the world's ADP is used for Nylon-6,6\. ADP manufacturing is itself highly problematic:* ~1% of global NOx emissions and 0.2% of CO2 emissions are caused by ADP production.* The benzene feedstock is a non-renewable petroleum compound and volatile carcinogen.* Spent metal catalysts create toxic waste streams.* The high temperatures and pressure required for ADP manufacture consume 100-120 GJ energy per tonne of ADP manufactured.Nylon-6,6 can be recycled mechanically, but the recycled material can contain impurities and is not as a strong as virgin Nylon-6,6 polymer.Chemical recycling of Nylon-6,6 can generate a higher quality of remanufactured product. However, the chemical recycling methods available are more complex and more expensive than mechanical recycling. Moreover, chemical recycling of Nylon-6,6 requires harmful and toxic chemical adjuvants.There is an **unmet need** for improved Nylon-6,6 recycling methods, reducing demand for virgin Nylon-6,6 and reducing demand for ADP and HMDA monomers.**Innovation:** Epoch Biodesign (formerly Mellizyme Biotechnology) recently purified a nylon hydrolase codenamed 'DAM-2'. Laboratory **work-to-date** shows DAM-2 can catalyse the depolymerization of Nylon-6,6 at room temperature and atmospheric pressure -- representing significant innovation in the processes currently available for Nylon-6,6 recycling.**Project focus:** Epoch will use proprietary synthetic biology tools and approaches to improve the activity of DAM-2\. They will also generate protocols for extruding new Nylon-6,6 filament from the degradation products of the DAM-2 mediated depolymerisation reaction.By completing this work Epoch will create a **game-changing** and **disruptive** new capability for Nylon-6,6 recycling, which enables cradle-to-cradle recycling in an environmentally-friendly manner.

**挑战：** Nylon-6,6 是通过己二酸 (ADP) 和六亚甲基二胺 (HMDA) 单体通过能源密集型工业流程进行酯化而生产的（每生产一吨 Nylon-6,6 消耗 80-60 MJ）。全球尼龙-6,6 制造每年排放约 1200 万吨二氧化碳和约 200 万吨一氧化二氮 (NOx)。全球 ADP 的 75% 用于尼龙-6,6\。 ADP 制造本身就存在很大问题：* 全球约 1% 的氮氧化物排放量和 0.2% 的二氧化碳排放量是由 ADP 生产造成的。* 苯原料是一种不可再生的石油化合物和挥发性致癌物质。* 废金属催化剂会产生有毒废物流.* ADP 制造所需的高温和高压每制造一吨 ADP 消耗 100-120 GJ 能量。尼龙 6,6 可以机械回收，但回收的材料可以含有杂质，强度不如原始 Nylon-6,6 聚合物。 Nylon-6,6 的化学回收可以产生更高质量的再制造产品。然而，可用的化学回收方法比机械回收更复杂且更昂贵。此外，Nylon-6,6 的化学回收需要有害且有毒的化学助剂。改进 Nylon-6,6 回收方法、减少对原生 Nylon-6,6 的需求以及减少对 ADP 的需求，存在**未满足的需求** **创新：** Epoch Biodesign（前身为 Mellizyme Biotechnology）最近纯化了一种代号为“DAM-2”的尼龙水解酶。实验室**迄今为止的工作**表明，DAM-2 可以在室温和大气压下催化 Nylon-6,6 解聚，这代表了目前 Nylon-6,6 回收工艺的重大创新。**项目重点：** Epoch 将使用专有的合成生物学工具和方法来提高 DAM-2 的活性。他们还将生成从 DAM-2 介导的解聚反应的降解产物中挤出新 Nylon-6,6 长丝的方案。通过完成这项工作，Epoch 将创造**改变游戏规则**和**破坏性**的新能力用于尼龙 6,6 回收，以环保方式实现从摇篮到摇篮的回收。