CAREER: Study of Novel Interfacial Biocatalysis of Multienzyme Systems Self-Assembled at Organic-Aqueous Interfaces

PING WANG BES-0348412生物催化正面临着新一轮的振兴浪潮，因为人们对环境友好型工业的需求日益增长，对映体化合物的兴趣也日益高涨。尽管随着基因工程和蛋白质科学的最新进展，更有能力的酶正在变得可用，但有机化合物的不溶于水仍然极大地限制了许多有希望的生物转化的效率。这项研究试图开发和研究一种突破性的策略，以模仿蛋白质的生物膜结合机制来进行界面生物催化。具体地说，天然的水溶性蛋白质酶和辅因子将与疏水聚合物偶联形成表面活性剂样结构，从而使催化剂能够在O/A界面自组装。研究目标是：(1)实现多酶系统在O/A界面上的自组装，(2)研究多酶系统界面催化的基本方面，以及(3)评估界面生物催化在商品化工生产中的潜力，特别是用于生产液晶聚合物、染料、农药和药品的对羟基苯甲酸(PHBA)的生产的多酶途径。该教育计划旨在(1)促进生物技术融入化学工程课程并最终形成其核心基础，以及(2)提高公众对工程的认识和兴趣。

Ping WangBES-0348412Biocatalysis is facing a new wave of revitalization in embracing the growing demands for environmentally-benign industries and the heightened interest in enantiopure compounds. Even though more capable enzymes are becoming available through the latest advances in genetic engineering and protein science, the water-insolubility of organic compounds remains greatly restraining to the efficiency of many promising biotransformations. This research seeks to develop and investigate a breakthrough strategy to conduct interfacial biocatalysis in a way mimicking biological membrane-binding mechanisms of proteins. Specifically, native water-soluble protein enzymes and cofactors will be conjugated with hydrophobic polymers to form surfactant-like structures, thus enabling self-assembling of the catalysts at O/A interfaces. Research objectives are to: (1) Enable the self-assembling of multienzyme systems at O/A interfaces, (2) Investigate fundamental aspects of the interfacial catalysis of multienzyme systems, and (3) Evaluate the potentials of the interfacial biocatalysis for commodity chemical production, especially the multiple enzyme pathway for the production of p-hydroxybenzoic acid (pHBA), which is used for the production of liquid crystal polymers, dyes, pesticides and pharmaceuticals. The education plan seeks to (1) Facilitate the integration and eventually form a core foundation of biotechnology into the chemical engineering curriculum, and (2) Promote public awareness and interests in engineering.