SusChEM: Biomolecular and cellular engineering for hydrocarbon biofuel production

PI: Marsh， E. neil提案编号：1336636机构：密歇根大学安娜堡分校标题：SusChEM：碳氢化合物生物燃料生产的生物分子和细胞工程该提案将开发一种新的生物途径，用于高效生产先进的？结合酶、代谢途径和细胞工程，从可再生资源中提取碳氢化合物燃料。今天，乙醇和生物柴油是唯一大规模生产和利用的生物燃料。然而，由于与当前的基础设施不兼容和/或合适的原料供应非常有限，每种方法都有严重的缺点。因此，开发新一代生物燃料的需求十分迫切，而且发展的空间也越来越大。该项目的目标是生产由脂肪酸衍生的短链和中链烷烃（C8-C20），可直接替代石油基燃料。为了利用重组大肠杆菌菌株生产这些先进的生物燃料，该项目将通过以下途径调查和优化产烃酶、脂肪酸生物合成途径和全细胞机制：(1)对两种产烃途径中的关键酶进行机理研究和工程设计；(2)通过代谢途径工程增加脂肪酸作为碳氢化合物前体；(3)纤维素生物质制烃途径整合与细胞工程。该项目的成功完成将带来几个潜在的变革性结果。首先，该项目将开发一种跨多个尺度的创新策略，以创造高效的全细胞生物催化剂。其次，pi将产生能够从可再生资源中生产高级碳氢化合物生物燃料的大肠杆菌菌株。第三，pi将促进对产烃酶、脂肪酸合成调节和全细胞代谢机制的基本理解。基因组工程和超高通量筛选方法代表了微生物工程的一项重大创新，其变异/扩展可用于改善各种复杂表型。更一般地说，通过这些活动产生的科学知识将被证明对其他生物工程应用有价值。该项目的科学发现将为最终开发具有成本效益和可持续生产的碳氢化合物生物燃料做出重大贡献，这有助于解决我们社会目前面临的最紧迫挑战之一。教育和推广活动将侧重于促进相关研究生和博士后的学术和专业发展，支持本科生的研究，并促进未被充分代表的群体。在扩大以往和正在进行的活动的基础上，pi还计划让初高中学生与本科生一起参与暑期研究。

PI: Marsh, E. NeilProposal Number: 1336636Institution: University of Michigan Ann ArborTitle: SusChEM: Biomolecular and cellular engineering for hydrocarbon biofuel productionThe proposal will develop a new biological route for efficient production of advanced ?drop-in? hydrocarbon fuels from renewable resources, by integrating enzyme, metabolic pathway and cellular engineering. Today ethanol and biodiesel are the only biofuels produced and utilized at a large scale. However, each has severe drawbacks due to incompatibility with current infrastructures and/or very limited supply of suitable feedstocks. Therefore, there is both a pressing need and increasing scope for developing a new generation of biofuels.Target of this project is to produce short- and medium-chain alkanes and alkenes (C8-C20) derived from fatty acids, which can be used as direct substitute of petroleum based fuels. To enable the production of these advanced biofuels using recombinant E. coli strains, the PI will investigate and optimize hydrocarbon-producing enzymes, fatty acid biosynthetic pathways, and whole-cell machinery, via (1) Mechanistic studies and engineering of key enzymes in two hydrocarbon-producing pathways, (2) Metabolic pathway engineering for increasing fatty acids as hydrocarbon precursors, and (3) Pathway integration and cellular engineering for hydrocarbon production from cellulosic biomass.The successful completion of this project will lead to several potentially transformative outcomes. First, this project will develop an innovative strategy across multiple scales for creating efficient whole-cell biocatalysts. Second, the PIs will generate E. coli strains capable of producing high-grade hydrocarbon biofuels from renewable resources. Third, the PIs will advance fundamental understanding of mechanisms of hydrocarbon-producing enzymes, regulation of fatty acids synthesis, and whole-cell metabolism. The genome engineering and ultrahigh-throughput screening approach represents a major innovation in microbial engineering and its variation/extension can be employed for improving a wide variety of complex phenotypes. More generally, the scientific knowledge generated through these activities will prove valuable for other bio-engineering applications.The scientific findings resulted from this project will make significant contributions to the ultimate development of cost-effective and sustainable production of hydrocarbon biofuels, which helps solve one of the most pressing challenges currently faced by our society. The education and outreach activities will focus on fostering academic and professional development of involved graduate student and postdoc, supporting undergraduate research, and promoting underrepresented groups. Expanding previous and ongoing activities, the PIs also plan to engage middle/high school students in summer research within a team setting with undergraduates.