Micro-scale processing and characterization of biopolymers

生物聚合物的微尺度加工和表征

• 批准号: 435646-2013
• 负责人: Latulippe, David
• 金额: $ 1.82万
• 依托单位: McMaster University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2017-01-01 至 2018-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=638323
• 关键词: Micro; scale; processing; characterization; biopolymers

There is significant interest in using biopolymers as functional materials in many different industries. For example, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are naturally occurring polyester molecules produced by bacteria that have comparable material properties to conventional synthetic polymers such as polypropylene but have the advantage of being fully biodegradable. Nucleic acid aptamers are functional molecules that can be used as biomarkers in clinical health trials to monitor the effectiveness of different treatment strategies. However, there are a number of engineering and economic challenges associated with the production of biopolymers that have limited their more widespread use. For example, due to the higher production costs, PHAs cannot compete with synthetic polymers. A significant portion of that cost is related to the 'downstream processing' steps that are designed to isolate and purify the polymer. Thus, the objective of the proposed research is to address the practical problems associated with biopolymer purification by developing new bioprocesses that are cheaper and better than current technologies. Microscale processing techniques use miniaturized devices that mimic lab-scale equipment. Because they can be automated and multiplexed to enable high-throughput screening, they are viewed as a powerful method to accelerate bioprocess development. Due to advanced regulatory expectations and increasing cost scrutiny, the biotechnology industry is rapidly adopting the use of these high-throughput tools. This work will focus on two specific research areas. The first is the development of microscale filtration processes for screening microbially produced biopolymers. The second is the development of monolith-based capillary columns for the discovery of nucleic acid aptamers. The microscale processing techniques that will be developed in this work will have significant commercial potential and may form the basis for new entrepreneurial ventures with Canadian companies.

在许多不同的行业中，使用生物聚合物作为功能材料具有显著的兴趣。例如，聚羟基链烷酸酯（PHA）是由细菌产生的天然存在的聚酯分子，其具有与常规合成聚合物如聚丙烯相当的材料性质，但具有完全生物降解的优点。核酸适体是一种功能性分子，可在临床健康试验中用作生物标志物，以监测不同治疗策略的有效性。然而，与生物聚合物的生产相关的许多工程和经济挑战限制了其更广泛的应用。例如，由于较高的生产成本，PHA无法与合成聚合物竞争。该成本的很大一部分与设计用于分离和纯化聚合物的“下游加工”步骤有关。因此，拟议研究的目的是通过开发比现有技术更便宜和更好的新生物工艺来解决与生物聚合物纯化相关的实际问题。微尺度处理技术使用模仿实验室规模设备的小型化装置。由于它们可以自动化和多路复用，以实现高通量筛选，因此它们被视为加速生物过程开发的强大方法。由于先进的监管预期和日益增加的成本审查，生物技术行业正在迅速采用这些高通量工具的使用。这项工作将侧重于两个具体的研究领域。第一个是开发用于筛选微生物产生的生物聚合物的微尺度过滤过程。第二个是开发用于发现核酸适体的整体毛细管柱。这项工作中将开发的微型加工技术将具有巨大的商业潜力，并可能成为与加拿大公司进行新的创业活动的基础。