Sustainable production of high-value wax esters using a biocatalyst - phase 1a

要使加拿大走在新兴全球生物经济的前沿，就需要开发创新技术，对我国林业和农业产生的大量木质纤维生物质进行估价。近年来，将生物质转化为木质纤维素糖的技术已经变得非常划算。然而，这些糖仍然主要用于生产低价值的生物燃料，其糟糕的经济前景阻碍了生物精炼的广泛采用。人们越来越认识到，充满活力和活力的生物经济必须建立在生产满足全球市场的高价值产品的基础上。我们创造了一种新型的微生物生物催化剂，可持续地将木质纤维素糖转化为高价值的蜡酯，这是一种广泛用于化妆品行业的中性脂肪。目前，蜡酯主要由石油和棕榈油生产，这两种资源是出了名的不可持续。我们的技术超越了迄今为止报道的任何天然或工程微生物系统，因此为蜡酯的可持续生产带来了巨大的希望。这个I2I项目旨在进一步开发我们的生物催化剂，并展示其作为可持续、工业化生产高价值脂基油脂化学品的平台技术的有效性。更具体地说，该项目将验证我们生物催化剂的规模化发酵、蜡酯的提取和分离，以及这些蜡酯在化妆品中的使用。提取将与我们的合作伙伴NRC合作开发。最终，这项工作将促进我们的技术转移到工业环境中，建设加拿大的生物经济，并为开发一种新的、可持续的、适用于一类重要油脂化学品的生物工艺做出贡献。

Establishing Canada at the forefront of the emerging global bioeconomy requires the development of innovative technologies to valorize the vast amounts of lignocellulosic biomass generated by our forestry and agricultural industries. In recent years, technologies to convert biomass into lignocellulosic sugars have become considerably more cost-effective. However, these sugars are still primarily employed for the production of low-value biofuels whose poor economic outlook impedes the widespread adoption of biorefineries. It is increasingly recognized that a vibrant, robust bioeconomy must be based on the production of high-value products that satisfy global markets. We have created a novel microbial biocatalyst to sustainably convert lignocellulosic sugars to high-value wax esters, a neutral lipid widely used in the cosmetic industry. Currently, wax esters are produced primarily from petroleum and palm oil, two notoriously unsustainable sources. Our technology outperforms any natural or engineered microbial systems reported to date, and therefore holds great promise for the sustainable production of wax esters. This I2I project aims to further develop our biocatalyst and to demonstrate its efficacy as a platform technology for the sustainable, industrial production of high-value, lipid-based oleochemicals. More specifically, this project will validate scaled-fermentation of our biocatalyst, extraction and separation of wax esters, and the use of these wax esters in cosmetic products. Extraction will be developed in collaboration with our partner, NRC. Ultimately, this work will facilitate the transfer of our technology to an industrial setting, building Canada's bioeconomy and contributing to the development of a novel, sustainable bioprocess for an important class of oleochemicals.******