Energy News  
BIO FUEL
Major advance in synthetic biochemistry holds promise for biofuels
by Staff Writers
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 18, 2016


Paul Opgenorth, Tyler Korman and James Bowie (left to right) working in Bowie's UCLA laboratory. Image courtesy Reed Hutchinson and UCLA. For a larger version of this image please go here.

UCLA biochemists have devised a clever way to make a variety of useful chemical compounds, which could lead to the production of biofuels and new pharmaceuticals.

"The idea of synthetic biology is to redesign cells so they will take sugar and run it through a series of chemical steps to convert it into to a biofuel or a commodity chemical or a pharmaceutical," said James Bowie, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry in the UCLA College, and senior author of the new research.

"However, that's extremely difficult to do. The cell protests. It will take the sugar and do other things with it that you don't want, like build cell walls, proteins and RNA molecules. The cell fights us the whole way."

As an alternative, Bowie and his research team have developed a promising approach he calls synthetic biochemistry that bypasses the need for cells.

"We want to do a particular set of chemical transformations - that's all we want - so we decided to throw away the cells and just build the biochemical steps in a flask," Bowie said. "We eliminate the annoying cell altogether."

The biochemists purified more than two dozen enzymes in particular combinations and concentrations, put them in a flask and added glucose. The enzymes and pathways, created in Bowie's laboratory, are not necessarily found in nature. "When we don't have to worry about keeping cells happy, it's easier to rearrange things the way we want," he said.

"If the enzymes are not good enough - not fast enough, not stable enough - then we re-engineer them," said Tyler Korman, a postdoctoral scholar in Bowie's laboratory and co-author of the study.

The research, published in the journal Nature Chemical Biology, demonstrates that the biochemists can generate complex enzyme systems outside the cell that function well enough to be useful for the production of biofuels and commodity chemicals.

Synthetic biochemistry could be used for many industrial products, including producing plastics, flavors and scents, and perhaps eventually biofuels, said Bowie, a member of the UCLA-Department of Energy Institute's Division of Systems Biology and Design and UCLA's Molecular Biology Institute.

To convert glucose into a biofuel, bioengineers would ideally want cells to convert 100 percent of the sugar into fuel. Ethanol can be produced by yeast fermentation in about a 70 percent yield, by the same process we use to make beer and wine, "but that's after effectively thousands of years of optimization by man to increase alcohol levels in our favorite drinks," Bowie said.

The best yields for cell-produced chemicals in bioengineered strains are generally much lower or have other problems, he said.

Bowie, Korman and Paul Opgenorth, another postdoctoral scholar in the laboratory, report they have achieved approximately a 90 percent yield for the production of a biodegradable plastic.

The research team is working to overcome remaining challenges, including regulating the production of high-energy molecules needed for biochemical reactions.

In an important prelude to the current study, the biochemists reported on June 17, 2013 in the journal Nature Communications a major advance in regulating these high energy molecules - a system they call a molecular purge valve - and are continuing to develop other regulatory "tricks."

"We have to make synthetic biochemistry robust enough to work in a very large industrial plant," said Bowie, who has conducted research at UCLA since 1989, first as a postdoctoral scholar, and with his own laboratory since 1993.

They are in the early stages of forming a company, called Invizyne Technologies, Inc., for which Bowie is a scientific adviser.


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
University of California - Los Angeles
Bio Fuel Technology and Application News






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

Previous Report
BIO FUEL
Enzyme leads scientists further down path to pumping oil from plants
College Station TX (SPX) Apr 13, 2016
An enzyme responsible for making hydrocarbons has been discovered by Texas A and M AgriLife Research scientists studying a common green microalga called Botryococcus braunii. The study, published in the current issue of the journal Nature Communications, could enable scientists to use the enzyme in a plant to make large amounts of fuel-grade oil, according to Dr. Tim Devarenne, AgriLife Re ... read more


BIO FUEL
Mistra to develop lightweight solar modules for vehicles

Verengo Solar Reaches 100 Megawatt Milestone

Researchers generate clean energy using bacteria-powered solar panel

China solar giant says president 'assisting' inquiries

BIO FUEL
Major advance in synthetic biochemistry holds promise for biofuels

Recyclable, sugar-derived foam as renewable alternative to polyurethanes

Enzyme leads scientists further down path to pumping oil from plants

Penn chemists lay groundwork for countless new, cleaner uses of methane

BIO FUEL
Iowa puts faith in wind energy

Maryland praised for renewable energy efforts

Scotland generated most of its electricity in 2015 through renewables

RWE making bold moves in Scottish renewables

BIO FUEL
Physicists gain new view of superconductor

New magnetism research brings high-temp superconductivity applications closer

Physicists discover flaws in superconductor theory

Creation of Jupiter interior, a step towards room temp superconductivity

BIO FUEL
Economic development does mean a greater carbon footprint

Study shows best way to reduce energy consumption

US tech giants file brief in favor of Obama 'clean power' plan

Four killed at anti-China power plant protest in Bangladesh

BIO FUEL
China auto sales up nearly 9% in March: industry group

VW says top executives ready to accept 'sharp cuts' in bonuses

VW managers in hot seat over bonus payments

Tesla recalls 2,700 Model X SUVs for seat problem

BIO FUEL
China wields increasing power in world wine market: study

Spreading seeds by human migration

Rising CO2 levels reduce protein in crucial pollen source for bees

Growth of GM crops slows for first time in 20 years

BIO FUEL
Students observe damaged Hitomi X-ray satellite and debris

Why sailing to the stars has suddenly become a realistic goal

Strathclyde-led project to open up space technology to new nations

Progress of simulating dynamics in heterogeneous materials









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.