The broader impact/commercial potential of this project would be supplanting the traditional, fossil fuel-based chemical process for monoethylene glycol (MEG) production with a novel, sustainable bioprocess. MEG is a commodity chemical produced in large quantities and has primary application as one of the precursors for poly(ethylene terephthalate), a polymer that is commonplace in the form of polyester fabric and plastic beverage bottles. Presently, MEG is mainly derived from fossil fuels, limited resources that are responsible for the significant greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint associated with MEG production. Therefore, utilizing sustainable source materials has a positive effect by reducing the environmental impact. This project proposes a new technology in which plant-derived sugars are converted into MEG in a single-step bioprocess; this technology if successful, would dramatically reduce the carbon footprint of MEG. Furthermore, the bioprocess should be cost-competitive with a significantly less capital investment.
This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project is for the development of a single-step bioprocess for the conversion of plant-derived sugars into MEG. The bioprocess will consist of fermentation in which a microbial strain metabolizes sugars and yields MEG as the product. Because MEG is not a typical fermentation product, the Phase I research will be to engineer a microbial strain toward this goal. The first step is to design one or more series of biochemical reactions that result in MEG starting from sugars. The design consists of identifying enzymes that carry out the appropriate reactions and identifying reactions that may result in other products. The next step is to engineer the designed metabolic pathway into the host microbe. For this, the microbe is genetically modified through molecular biological techniques such that it contains the necessary enzymes and lacks those that lead to side-products. The microbe is tested, and after the metabolic pathway has been demonstrated, the system will require optimization. The optimization will comprise of further genetic modification and/or adjustment of fermentation conditions. It is anticipated that the Phase I research will prove out the company's uniquely designed metabolic pathways and demonstrate feasibility on a microbial fermentation approach for renewable MEG production.
