EFRI-PSBR: Channeling Carbon Flows in Algal Productions Systems from the Molecular to Bioprocessing Scales

人类面临的最紧迫的重大挑战之一是可持续地养活预计到本世纪中叶将增加到90亿人的人口。应对这一挑战将需要开发新的创新的可再生生产系统，这些系统不仅有助于满足民众的能源和保健产品需求，而且以环境和经济可持续的方式做到这一点。解决不可再生燃料资源储量减少和大气中二氧化碳水平上升的问题的一种方法是捕获来自废物处理设施、炼油厂、煤炭和其他能源的浓缩二氧化碳(CO2)，并将二氧化碳转化为有用的产品，包括膳食补充剂、药品和生物燃料。微藻物种是这类产品的潜在可再生来源，因为它们能够利用光将二氧化碳固定在生物分子中。然而，目前存在关键的技术瓶颈，包括所需产品的增长率和合成率低，以及获取二氧化碳和光的效率低下。这些限制将在美国国家科学基金会研究与创新新兴前沿办公室颁发的一项奖项中得到解决，该奖项由约翰·霍普金斯大学的迈克尔·贝滕堡和罗伊斯·弗朗西斯、特拉华大学的马西克·安东涅维奇、马里兰大学巴尔的摩县分校的史蒂文·米勒和加州大学圣地亚哥分校的伯恩哈德·帕尔松等工程师和科学家合作颁发。他们打算将基因组规模的建模、代谢流量分析、代谢工程和工艺优化结合起来，以改进藻类培养，捕获二氧化碳和光，并将其转化为有用的生物产品，包括类似于汽油的胡萝卜素和碳氢化合物。基因和生物过程工程方法将被用于改善包括二氧化碳捕获、类胡萝卜素生物合成和碳氢化合物生物合成在内的途径。基因组规模的藻类生理学模型将与生物反应器模型连接，以优化商业规模的生产过程，代谢通量分析将评估这些工程努力的成功。调查团队将使用生命周期、经济和社会影响分析来确保微藻生物过程的可持续性。为了扩大更广泛的影响以最大化教育价值，调查人员将与巴尔的摩保利高中、中学和社区大学密切合作，通过各种新的教育项目吸引、准备和留住少数族裔和女性学生和教职员工进入STEM领域。这项工作的一个特点是为当地学生和普通公众开发一个微藻示范设施，以了解藻类如何在产生有用产品的同时修复二氧化碳。这些项目将帮助招聘和培训STEM关键领域的未来科学家和工程师。

ABSTRACTOne of the most pressing grand challenges facing humanity is sustainably supporting a human population predicted to increase to 9 billion people by mid-century. Meeting this challenge will require the development of new and innovative renewable production systems that not only help meet the energy and health-product needs of the populace, but do so in a way that is environmentally and economically sustainable. One approach to address the problems of dwindling reserves of non-renewable fuel resources and rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is to capture concentrated carbon dioxide (CO2) emerging from waste treatment facilities, petroleum refineries, coal and other energy sources and convert the CO2 into useful products, including dietary supplements, medicinals, and biofuels. Microalgae species represent a potential renewable source of such products due to their ability to use light to fix CO2 into biomolecules. However, there are currently critical technical bottlenecks including slow growth rates and low synthesis rates of desired products and inefficient access to CO2 and light. These limitations will be addressed in an award made by the National Science Foundation Office of Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation, through a collaboration between engineers and scientists Michael Betenbaugh and Royce Francis at Johns Hopkins University, Maciek Antoniewicz at University of Delaware, Steven Miller at University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and Bernhard Palsson at University of California, San Diego. They intend to combine genome-scale modeling, metabolic flux analysis, metabolic engineering, and process optimization to improve algae cultivation and capture and convert CO2 and light into useful bioproducts, including carotenoids and hydrocarbons similar to gasoline. Genetic and bioprocess engineering methods will be used to improve pathways involving CO2 capture, carotenoid biosynthesis, and hydrocarbon biosynthesis. Genome-scale models of algal physiology will be connected to bioreactor models in order to optimize commercial-scale production processes and metabolic flux analysis will evaluate the success of these engineering efforts. The investigative team will use life-cycle, economic, and social impact analysis to ensure microalgae bioprocess sustainability.In order to expand the broader impacts to maximize the educational value, investigators will work closely with Baltimore Poly High School, middle schools, and community colleges to attract, prepare, and retain minority and female students and faculty into STEM fields through various new educational programs. One feature of this effort will be the development of a microalgal demonstration facility for local students and the general public to learn how algae remediate CO2 while generating useful products. These programs will help recruit and train future scientists and engineers in key STEM fields.