Enhanced Bio-Valorization of Methane

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A class of bacteria called methanotrophs can convert methane to other compounds. Methane is the principle component of natural gas and a byproduct of oil drilling. It is also a more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. The removal of methane from the atmosphere has an important role to play in maintaining our environment. Methanotrophs could also be modified to produce valuable products. This project is designed to identify the best way to modify methanotroph metabolism to produce fuels and products from methane. This project will also engage undergraduates in research. In addition, hands-on activities to enhance science literacy will be developed and delivered to a local elementary school, preparing them for STEM careers. Methanotrophs have great potential for both control of methane emissions and methane valorization. Their metabolism is strongly affected by a number of environmental parameters, especially the bioavailability of copper and rare earth elements. These metals control the activity of key enzymes involved in methane transformation. A fundamental, mechanistic understanding how these metals affect methanotrophic physiology and gene expression must be developed. In this project, a suite of molecular and modeling techniques will be pursued to delineate how these metals control methanotrophic metabolism, and then targeted genes will be knocked out/knocked in to enhance the re-direction of carbon to desired end products, e.g., poly-hydroxyalkanoates (for bioplastic production) and methanol (for biofuel production). Thus, the overall goal of this project is to measure and model the transcriptome/metabolome of methanotrophs to develop lucrative strategies for methane capture and valorization.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.