STTR Phase I: Novel Bioprocess for Natural Gas Conversion

这个小型企业技术转让(STTR)第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业化潜力是生产一种重要的平台化学品己酸。目前，6碳化合物很难获得，因为原油作为轻石脑油的一部分，只包含这个碳范围内的一小部分。大多数6碳化合物是通过多个步骤生产的，这些步骤构成了从轻石脑油中提取的烯烃的转化。各种6碳化合物包括正己醇、己烯、己内酰胺和正己烷。所有这些化合物都是己酸的直接衍生物。这项拟议的技术将使用一种新的生物工艺来生产己酸，这将以较低的成本提供这种化学品的替代来源。己酸目前的直接市场用途包括人工香料、橡胶化学品、清漆干燥剂、树脂和药品。它可以转化为己烯、己内酰胺(尼龙原料)。这些高附加值α-烯烃、聚合物和优质润滑油工业原料成为早期商业化的极佳候选者。此外，己酸可以通过脱羧基和自由基偶联化学转化为喷气燃料组分正庚烷。因此，使用拟议的创新来渗透价值3000亿美元的喷气燃料市场存在较长期的前景。这个STTRI期项目计划开发一种新的微生物菌株，将甲醇转化为己酸。该项目的主要目标是论证甲醇转化为己酸的技术经济可行性。与最先进的技术相比，总体估计的碳产量和能源效率明显更高。该生物途径由两个元素组成：(1)甲醇氧化反应的加成提供还原剂；(2)延长形成的酸的链长。在利用甲醇和H2/CO2时，甲醇氧化将使用已知生物体和能够在没有氧气的情况下运行的反应的众所周知的途径。链长将通过使用梭状芽孢杆菌的基本途径和已知的酶来形成己酸来延长。在该项目结束时，将开发一种新的菌株，可以一步将甲醇转化为己酸。将对整个工艺进行初步评估，并与目前的商业制造工艺进行比较。

The broader impact/commercialization potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project is to produce an important platform chemical, hexanoic acid. Currently, the 6-carbon compounds are difficult to attain since crude petroleum contains just a small fraction in this carbon range as part of light naphtha. Most of the 6-carbon compounds are produced via multiple steps that constitute conversion of olefins derived from light naphtha. The various 6-carbon compounds include hexanol, hexene, caprolactam and hexa-easters. All of these compounds are direct derivatives of hexanoic acid. The proposed technology will manufacture hexanoic acid using a novel bioprocess, which will provide an alternative source for this chemical at a reduced cost. Current direct market uses of hexanoic acid include artificial flavors, rubber chemicals, varnish driers, resins and pharmaceuticals. It can be converted to hexene, caprolactam (nylon feedstock). These value added á-olefins, polymers and premium lubricant industry feedstocks, become excellent candidates for early commercialization. In addition, hexanoic acid can be converted to decane, a jet fuel component via decarboxylation and radical coupling chemistry. Thus, longer-term prospects exist for using the proposed innovation to penetrate a $300 Billion jet fuel market. This STTR Phase I project proposes to develop a novel microbial strain to convert methanol to hexanoic acid. The primary objective of this project is to demonstrate techno-economic feasibility of methanol conversion to hexanoic acid. The overall estimated carbon yield and energy efficiency are significantly higher compared to state of the art. The biological pathway consists of two elements added to an acetogenic host: (1) Addition of methanol oxidation reactions to provide reductant; and (2) Extension of the chain length of the acid formed. Methanol oxidation will use well-known pathways from known organisms and reactions capable of operation without oxygen in the utilization of methanol and H2/CO2. The chain length will be extended by using the basic pathway of Clostridium and known enzymes to form hexanoic acid. At the end of the project, a novel strain will be developed that can convert methanol to hexanoic acid in a single step. A preliminary assessment of the overall process will be performed and compared to the current commercial manufacturing process.