Development of a Sustainable Production Platform for Renewable Petroleum Based Oils in Algae

藻类可再生石油基油可持续生产平台的开发

• 批准号: 0828648
• 负责人: Wayne Curtis
• 金额: $ 25万
• 依托单位: Pennsylvania State Univ University Park
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2008-11-01 至 2012-10-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0828648&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Development; Sustainable; Production; Platform; Renewable

Joseph Chappell University of Kentucky CBET-0828817 Wayne R Curtis Pennsylvania State University, University Park CBET 0828648 Intellectual merit The primary objective of this project is to genetically engineer algae for the production of renewable and ecologically sustainable petroleum grade oils that are suitable for processing into combustible fuels (octanes suitable for internal combustible engines) and other petroleum-based products. This project leverages the Principal Investigators (PIs) recent success in isolating the genes coding for the biosynthesis of rather unique branched-chain, unsaturated hydrocarbons (methylated triterpenes), and the development of novel tools to engineer metabolic shunts for high-level terpene production in terrestrial plants. The PIs' specific aims are to fully characterize these unique triterpene biosynthetic enzymes, to assess the capacity of transgenic algae engineered with the respective genes for their ability to accumulate high-levels of the corresponding petroleum-based oils, and finally to evaluate bioreactor design and operational strategies for growing high density algal cultures and improving the capture efficiency for solar radiation. The proposed collaborative research brings together genetic engineering proof-of-principle with novel process engineering advances in algae culture required to evaluate these alterative platforms of agri-culture and alga-culture for commodity-scale displacement of fossil fuels with renewable, green-house-gas neutral biofuels. Broader impacts The proposed work represents a strong interdisciplinary effort between chemists, biochemists and engineers, involving undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral associates, in an effort to shed new insights into how metabolic pathways might be engineered for enhanced value using emerging technologies.

Joseph Chappell肯塔基州大学CBET-0828817韦恩R Curtis宾夕法尼亚州立大学，大学公园CBET 0828648智力价值该项目的主要目标是对藻类进行基因工程改造，以生产可再生和生态可持续的石油级油，这些油适合加工成可燃燃料（辛烷适合于内部可燃发动机）和其他石油基产品。该项目利用了主要研究者（PI）最近在分离编码相当独特的支链不饱和烃（甲基化三萜）生物合成的基因方面的成功，以及开发新工具来设计陆生植物中高水平萜烯生产的代谢分流。PI的具体目标是充分表征这些独特的三萜生物合成酶，评估用相应基因改造的转基因藻类积累高水平相应石油基油的能力，最后评估生物反应器设计和操作策略，以培养高密度藻类培养物并提高太阳辐射的捕获效率。拟议的合作研究将遗传工程原理验证与藻类培养中的新工艺工程进展结合在一起，以评估这些农业和藻类培养的替代平台，用于用可再生的温室气体中性生物燃料替代化石燃料。拟议的工作代表了化学家，生物化学家和工程师之间强大的跨学科努力，涉及本科生和研究生以及博士后助理，努力为如何利用新兴技术设计代谢途径以提高价值提供新的见解。