(752d) Effect of Environmental Factors Towards Patchoulol Production By Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii

Patchoulol (C₁₅H₂₆O) is a sesquiterpene alcohol and a valuable compound in the fragrance and pharmaceutical industry. Traditionally, patchouli oil is extracted from the leaves of a plant, Pogostemon cablin. This approach faces the threat of limited and intermittent supply as these plants only grow in select regions of the world. But now with the advance of genetic engineering, it is possible to genetically modify microorganisms such as yeasts and bacteria to produce patchoulol. Photosynthetic microorganisms, such as microalgae in particular, would be of high interest as they have the advantage of directly converting carbon dioxide to high-value products through carbon fixation and photosynthesis. In this work, we have cultivated a patchoulol-producing strain of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and elucidated the effect of light and temperature towards cell growth and patchoulol production. We also considered the effect of light-and-dark cycles towards patchoulol productivity. The findings from these environmental factors not only increase our understanding of patchoulol expression in microalgae, but also represent a step towards advancing this production platform to other target molecules. It is envisioned that this platform would be applicable to other terpenoids such as bisabolene and limonene, both hydrocarbon precursors to a range of industrially relevant chemicals.