15 NSFBIO - Synthetic Biology for Lignin Utilization

15 NSFBIO - 木质素利用的合成生物学

基本信息

批准号：
BB/P011918/1
负责人：
John McGeehan
金额：
$ 51.1万
依托单位：
University of Portsmouth
依托单位国家：
英国
项目类别：
Research Grant
财政年份：
2017
资助国家：
英国
起止时间：
2017 至无数据
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=BB%2FP011918%2F1
关键词：
15 NSFBIO Synthetic Biology Lignin

项目摘要

Our current reliance on fossil fuels is unsustainable and there is a clear need to find alternative sources of renewable fuels and chemicals to meet the needs of an expanding global population. A vast amount of work has been done in developing the technologies to turn waste plant material (biomass) into sugar that can be fermented to produce bioethanol for our cars, trains and planes. This relies on enzymes, like those used in washing detergents, to break down the plant material so that that it can be converted into biofuels - a direct alternative to fossil fuels. Although the technology now exists to do this, it is simply too expensive. So how can we make it cheaper?Plant cell walls contain cellulose and it is this polymer that can be broken down into sugars to make fuels. However, up to one-third of plant material is made up of a sticky brown compound called lignin. This is currently vastly underused in commercial plants and it is mainly burned to generate power. This is a huge waste, and one of the reasons that biofuels are currently so expensive. Lignin is actually a very valuable compound, and with the right enzymes, can be turned into useful products such as chemicals, plastics and even carbon-fibre. Not only would these materials be renewable and sustainable, their high value would make biofuels cheaper.As usual, nature already has the answer. We have found microbes that can live on lignin as a food source and have evolved powerful enzymes break this resistant compound apart. We plan to research these enzymes and link them together in new systems to make them efficient. We will use genetics to help us evolve better enzymes, work out their 3D structures and use advanced computer models to work out the best combinations. If we succeed, we have the potential to make biofuel production commercially viable and create a new range of plant-based products. The result will be transportation fuels that don't rely on dwindling fossil fuel reserves, are sustainable and are kinder to the environment.

我们目前对化石燃料的依赖是不可持续的，显然需要寻找可再生燃料和化学品的替代来源，以满足不断增长的全球人口的需求。在开发将废弃植物材料（生物质）转化为糖的技术方面已经做了大量的工作，这些糖可以发酵为我们的汽车、火车和飞机生产生物乙醇。这依赖于酶，就像洗涤剂中使用的酶一样，分解植物材料，从而将其转化为生物燃料——化石燃料的直接替代品。尽管现在已有技术可以做到这一点，但它的成本太高了。那么我们怎样才能让它更便宜呢？植物细胞壁含有纤维素，正是这种聚合物可以分解成糖来制造燃料。然而，多达三分之一的植物材料是由一种称为木质素的粘性棕色化合物组成的。目前，这在商业工厂中还没有得到充分利用，主要用于燃烧发电。这是一种巨大的浪费，也是目前生物燃料如此昂贵的原因之一。木质素实际上是一种非常有价值的化合物，通过合适的酶，可以转化为有用的产品，如化学品、塑料甚至碳纤维。这些材料不仅是可再生和可持续的，而且它们的高价值将使生物燃料更便宜。像往常一样，大自然已经有了答案。我们发现微生物可以以木质素为食物来源，并进化出强大的酶来分解这种耐药化合物。我们计划研究这些酶并将它们在新系统中连接在一起以提高它们的效率。我们将利用遗传学来帮助我们进化出更好的酶，计算出它们的 3D 结构，并使用先进的计算机模型来计算出最佳组合。如果我们成功，我们就有潜力使生物燃料生产商业化，并创造一系列新的植物性产品。其结果将是运输燃料不依赖于日益减少的化石燃料储备，是可持续的并且对环境更友好。

项目成果

期刊论文数量（10）

专著数量（0）

科研奖励数量（0）

会议论文数量（0）

专利数量（0）

Characterization and engineering of a two-enzyme system for plastics depolymerization.

塑料解聚双酶系统的表征和工程。

DOI：
http://dx.10.1073/pnas.2006753117
发表时间：
2020
期刊：
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
影响因子：
11.1
作者：
Knott BC
通讯作者：
Knott BC

Thirty-five years later: Long-term effects of the Matlab maternal and child health/family planning program on older women's well-being.

三十五年后：Matlab 妇幼健康/计划生育项目对老年妇女福祉的长期影响。

DOI：
http://dx.10.1073/pnas.2101160118
发表时间：
2021
期刊：
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
影响因子：
11.1
作者：
Barham T
通讯作者：
Barham T

Engineering a Cytochrome P450 for Demethylation of Lignin-Derived Aromatic Aldehydes.

设计细胞色素 P450 用于木质素衍生芳香醛的去甲基化。

DOI：
http://dx.10.1021/jacsau.0c00103
发表时间：
2021
期刊：
JACS Au
影响因子：
8
作者：
Ellis ES
通讯作者：
Ellis ES

Critical enzyme reactions in aromatic catabolism for microbial lignin conversion

微生物木质素转化芳香族分解代谢中的关键酶反应

DOI：
10.1038/s41929-022-00747-w
发表时间：
2022-02-01
期刊：
Nature Catalysis
影响因子：
37.8
作者：
E. Erickson;Alissa C Bleem;E. Kuatsjah;A. Werner;J. DuBois;J. McGeehan;L. Eltis;G. Beckham
通讯作者：
G. Beckham

Biochemical and structural characterization of an aromatic ring-hydroxylating dioxygenase for terephthalic acid catabolism.

用于对苯二甲酸分解代谢的芳环羟基化双加氧酶的生化和结构表征。

DOI：
http://dx.10.1073/pnas.2121426119
发表时间：
2022
期刊：
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
影响因子：
11.1
作者：
Kincannon WM
通讯作者：
Kincannon WM