Styrene biosynthesis in microorganisms

POLY 495

Newell R Washburn, washburn@andrew.cmu.edu, Departments of Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217 and Aileen Dinin, Department of Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.
Genetically engineered yeast and bacteria capable of synthesizing styrene from a variety of feedstocks were produced. The strategy was to promote overproduction of L-phenylalanine and convert it to styrene by incorporating genes for phenylalanine ammonia lysase and phenolic acid decarboxylase, which result in the production of cinnamic acid and styrene, respectively. Vectors for these genes were constructed using standard recombinant DNA methods and inserted in S. cerevisiae and B. subtilis hosts. Genetically modified microorganisms were cultured in shaker flasks for 24 h and cell count and aromatic biosynthesis were monitored at several time points. Production of aromatic products was measured using high performance liquid chromatography. Titers in the culture flasks were approximately 1 mg/ml, suggesting further modifications to the host microorganisms will have to be made in order to develop an economically competitive method for styrene production.
 

Polymers from Renewable Resources
6:00 PM-8:00 PM, Tuesday, August 21, 2007 BCEC -- Exhibit Hall - B2, Poster

Division of Polymer Chemistry

The 234th ACS National Meeting, Boston, MA, August 19-23, 2007