EAGER: Enabling Direct Microbial Biotransformation of Methane and Derived Methanol to Valuable Biochemicals and Biofuels by Yarrowia Lipolytica

University Of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville TN

Investigators

Abstract

1360867 Trinh, Cong T. Methane is abundant and comes from natural gas, coal, petroleum, and biogas of livestock; it is also one of the major and potent greenhouse gases. Methane is primarily used as a fuel for generating heat and electricity, and to produce methanol via the synthesis gas route, which is expensive to process as it is very energy intensive. Methane generated as a byproduct in a chemical process or as biogas of livestock is often either released or flared before being released to the environment. Therefore, effectively capturing and using methane can provide an abundant feedstock to produce valuable products and alleviate global warming. This EAGER proposal seeks to explore the untapped microbial biotransformation route to utilize methane and derived methanol for the synthesis of valuable biobased products. The proposed research will be transformative by achieving the direct microbial transformation of abundant methane and derived methanol to valuable biobased products at room temperature and ambient pressure with much less energy than conventional chemical transformation, and by simultaneously capturing methane to abate global warming. This project will also integrate the research into educational outreach activities that have significant impact on a diverse group of undergraduate and K-12 students at The University of Tennessee. The goal of this EAGER proposal is to elucidate and activate the unique methane- and methanol-utilizing pathways of oleaginous yeasts (such as Yarrowia lipolytica) for biochemicals and biofuels synthesis. In this proposal, the PI team will use systems biology tools to address the following fundamental questions: 1) What genes are involved in the methanol-utilizing pathway of Y. lipolytica? and 2) Can Y. lipolytica utilize any of its diverse set of CYP450 monooxygenases to convert methane to methanol and enable growth on methane? Furthermore, the PI team will apply metabolic engineering and synthetic biology tools to harness the unique metabolism of Y. lipolytica to synthesize valuable biobased products from methane and methane-derived molecules. If successful, this project will shed light on unique methane- and methanol-utilizing pathways that are poorly understood in eukaryotes (e.g., Y. lipolytica) and pave the way for discovering other non-conventional yeasts that have both oleaginous and methanotrophic characteristics.