Genetic construction of novel microbial strains for the production of high-grade and high-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid

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Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a high-value natural polysaccharide with various applications in healthcare and cosmetics. The molecular weight of HA, which can be as high as up to 6 MDa depending on the source, greatly correlates with HA applicability and, as a result, HA quality and price value. HA larger than 1.8 MDa has a high capacity to hold water and is advantageous for various biomedical applications. Recently, high-grade HA was identified the new target product of United Bioscience Canada, Corp. (UBCC), a Toronto-based company dedicated to innovative development of science and engineering technologies to enhance biomanufacturing. In this proposal, a UWaterloo research group led by Professor C. Perry Chou will team with UBCC to explore genetic construction of novel microbial strains to produce high-grade HA with a high molecular weight for biomedical applications. Success of the exploration can lead to the next phase of major collaboration in developing bioreactor system and HA purification process, which is expected to significantly shorten the timeframe required for UBCC to bring the high-grade HA into the market.