Synthetic biology approaches toward direct recycling of carbon dioxide to C4-C5 alcohols in thermophilic cyanobacteria

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Global climate change has stimulated efforts towards a reduction of net CO2 emissions. One potential approach to address this problem is to recycle CO2 as a backbone for producing fuels or chemicals using photosynthesis. Photosynthetic organisms use solar energy to incorporate atmospheric CO2 into organic molecules, but none of these organisms produce any molecules that are suitable for use as a liquid fuel. This project aims to genetically modify thermophilic cyanobacteria to build CO2 into C4-C5 alcohols, which have great potential as an alternative to petroleum based fuels. Additionally, extracting the final product from the production mix is a simple process as the fuel is easily vaporized. This new strategy possesses two advantages for the long-term, global-scale goal of achieving a cleaner and more sustainable energy economy. First, the process recycles CO2, reducing net greenhouse gas emissions compared to the burning of fossil fuels. Second, it uses solar energy to directly convert CO2 into a liquid fuel that is compatible with the existing infrastructure, including in most automobiles. The PI will also integrate his research with science and engineering education at multiple levels. The proposed research involves intersection of principles and methods of molecular genetics, microbiology, synthetic biology, and metabolic engineering. Students participating in this research will gain an integrated perspective of the important interfaces and synergies connecting biochemistry, microbiology, and bioengineering. The benefits of the proposed research to society are far-reaching as the resulting technologies will significantly impact our ability to resolve energy sustainability and global climate change issues.