Development of a Sustainable Production Platform for Renewable Petroleum Based Oils in Algae

约瑟夫·查佩尔肯塔基大学CBET-0828817宾夕法尼亚州立大学韦恩·R·柯蒂斯大学公园CBET 0828648智力优势该项目的主要目标是通过基因工程改造藻类，以生产可再生和生态可持续的石油级油，这些油适合加工成可燃燃料(适合内部可燃发动机的辛烷)和其他以石油为基础的产品。该项目利用首席研究人员(PI)最近在分离编码相当独特的支链、不饱和碳氢化合物(甲基化三萜)生物合成的基因方面的成功，以及开发新的工具来设计用于陆地植物高水平萜类生产的代谢分流。PIS的具体目标是全面描述这些独特的三萜类生物合成酶的特性，评估以各自基因为基础的转基因藻类积累相应石油基油的能力，并最终评估生物反应器的设计和操作策略，以生长高密度藻类并提高对太阳辐射的捕获效率。拟议的合作研究将基因工程原理证明与藻类培养方面的新工艺工程进展结合在一起，需要评估这些替代农业培养和藻类培养平台，以用可再生的温室气体中性生物燃料取代化石燃料的商品规模。更广泛的影响拟议中的工作代表着化学家、生物化学家和工程师之间强有力的跨学科努力，涉及本科生和研究生以及博士后助理，努力为如何利用新兴技术设计代谢途径以提高价值提供新的见解。

Joseph Chappell University of Kentucky CBET-0828817 Wayne R Curtis Pennsylvania State University, University Park CBET 0828648 Intellectual merit The primary objective of this project is to genetically engineer algae for the production of renewable and ecologically sustainable petroleum grade oils that are suitable for processing into combustible fuels (octanes suitable for internal combustible engines) and other petroleum-based products. This project leverages the Principal Investigators (PIs) recent success in isolating the genes coding for the biosynthesis of rather unique branched-chain, unsaturated hydrocarbons (methylated triterpenes), and the development of novel tools to engineer metabolic shunts for high-level terpene production in terrestrial plants. The PIs' specific aims are to fully characterize these unique triterpene biosynthetic enzymes, to assess the capacity of transgenic algae engineered with the respective genes for their ability to accumulate high-levels of the corresponding petroleum-based oils, and finally to evaluate bioreactor design and operational strategies for growing high density algal cultures and improving the capture efficiency for solar radiation. The proposed collaborative research brings together genetic engineering proof-of-principle with novel process engineering advances in algae culture required to evaluate these alterative platforms of agri-culture and alga-culture for commodity-scale displacement of fossil fuels with renewable, green-house-gas neutral biofuels. Broader impacts The proposed work represents a strong interdisciplinary effort between chemists, biochemists and engineers, involving undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral associates, in an effort to shed new insights into how metabolic pathways might be engineered for enhanced value using emerging technologies.