Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Department of
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
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First Advisor
Wei Niu
Date of this Version
7-2019
Document Type
Thesis
Abstract
Current industrial synthesis of adipic acid is nonrenewable and depends on a carcinogenic starting material, benzene. Biocatalysis with an engineered microorganism could turn a renewable feedstock into a value-added chemical such as adipic acid. Here we engineered P. putida KT2440 to transform lignin-derived aromatics, coumarate and ferulate, into adipic acid. Lignin is a recalcitrant plant biopolymer burned for thermal energy. Conversion of lignin into a value-added chemical will improve the efficiency of lignocellulose processing plants. The best performing engineered KT2440 strain produces 2.52 mM adipate at a 9.5% (mole/mole) yield. This was achieved by the genetic insertion of non-natural biosynthetic pathway comprised of three enzymes and the deletion of endogenous β-ketothiolase enzymes.
Included in
Biochemical and Biomolecular Engineering Commons, Molecular, Cellular, and Tissue Engineering Commons
Comments
A thesis Presented to the faculty of the Graduate College at the University of Nebraska in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Master of Science, Major: Chemical Engineering, Under the supervision of Professor Wei Niu. Lincoln, Nebraska: July 2019
Copyright © 2019 Howard Willett