Metabolomics: Development of novel metabolic analysis system for 1-butanol production

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Biological engineering offers great promise for the production of next generation biofuels that are a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. This research project will use novel high-throughput technologies to understand how microorganisms, such as baker's yeast and photosynthetic bacteria, produce these fuel molecules as part of their natural metabolism. Just as advances in DNA sequencing technology have made it possible to read whole genomes, new methods allow scientists to measure the metabolome, all the chemicals produced by the cell's metabolism. This project will combine a deep understanding of the genes and the chemical processes inside the cell and use novel computer modeling approaches to guide genetic engineering approaches that will boost the production of butanol, an advanced biofuel. Broader Impacts This project will integrate advanced training opportunities for young scientists in both the US and Japan through collaboration between the University of California, Los Angeles, Osaka University, Kobe University, and the Kaiteki Institute of the Mitsubishi Chemical Company in Japan. The training of students and postdoctoral fellows will be enriched through an exchange program between the participating laboratories, and by participation in an international workshop on the new technologies being developed in this project. A goal of this project is to train the next generation of researchers in the field of environmentally-conscious biofuels.