Speaker:
Title:
Engineering Bacteria for Bioassimilation and Upcycling of Nylon Monomers
Abstract:
Microbes have carved out a myriad of enzymatic reactions to breakdown or to synthesize a wide variety of useful metabolites. Through metabolic engineering, we can build self-expanding and renewable biological factories that derive their energy from depolymerized waste to produce commercially valuable compounds. To this end, we engineered Acinetobacter baylyi for the bioassimilation of common nylon monomers (i.e HMDA, 6-ACA and adipic acid). The engineered pathway produces secondary metabolites, such as glutamic acid which can be further enzymatically converted to high value products. This coupling of bioassimilation and bioproduction routes offers a promising route for profitable and sustainable waste handling that complements current (bio)depolymerization methods.