Advanced biobased platform chemicals for making bioplastics are vital to a circular material economy to minimize global plastic pollution and reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with petroleum-based synthetic polymer production. Indeed, in cooperation, biobased chemicals such as muconate to polymers exhibit superior performance relative to petroleum-based equivalents. We have developed an efficient microbial biocatalyst to biofunnel heterogeneous organics molecules into advanced platform chemicals. We deconstructed agricultural waste biomass polymers through oxidative hydrothermal dissolution (OHD) and fast- or catalytic-pyrolysis techniques. Of note, we used organic-rich aqueous waste streams from the pyrolysis (AWSP) for selective valorization. We leveraged and engineered aromatic metabolic pathway of robust microbial host P. putida EM42 and E. aphidicola LJJL01 to obtain biofunctionalized chemicals such as muconate, β-ketoadipate, and 2,3 butanediol. We enhanced the robustness of the strain through rational engineering of the tolerance mechanisms specific to toxicants (substrates, intermediates, and products) and expanded the substrate's utilization to funnel the majority of the organic in the OHD and AWSP. We used both engineered consortia and monoculture systems for the valorization of both OHD and AWSP and demonstrated the biofunneling to the desired products at laboratory-scale bioreactors. The separated monomers can be used to generate advanced biodegradable plastic, including active/smart food packaging materials. The developed novel thermo-bio hybrid process enables the efficient valorization of waste carbon generated in the agricultural system and enables a circular material economy with profound environmental, energy, and economic impacts.

Engineered biocatalyst to convert thermochemically-treated biomass-derived heterogeneous substrates to advanced platform chemicals

Fall 2022 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch in mid-September.

ACS Fall 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.