(265g) Conversion of Syngas-Derived C2 Carbon Sources to C2+ Biochemicals By Microbial Cell Factories

Using the non-food based raw materials to produce commodity chemicals has attracted great attentions. C2 carbon sources, acetate and ethanol, are promising non-food renewable feedstock that can be derived from syngas, is emerging as a potential alternative to sugar for the production of chemicals in third-generation biorefineries. In our research, microbial cell factories, such as Escherichia coli and Vibrio natriegens strains, were constructed for production of bio-chemicals, such as acetone, 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP), isopropanol, n-butanol or free fatty acids from acetate or ethanol as sole carbon source successfully. Multiple metabolic engineering strategies were used in this study, including inducing biosynthesis pathways of different products, elimination of competing pathways, dynamic regulation of the TCA oxidation branch, cofactor engineering, and adaptive laboratory evolution. This study explored the possibility of using syngas-derived acetate or ethanol as the new carbon source for biochemical production, which would inspire the research for cost-effective biorefinery.