FAP has high potential for applications from biofuels to organic synthesis, shown by various studies including our own. However, studies to date have used FAP mainly within its natural limits. Here, we want to explore radical-based reactions beyond FAP’s natural reaction, a research area awarded Nobel Prize in 2018 and since then growing tremendously.Description

Beyond the state-of-the art technologies, ACTPAC will design and deploy new catalysts and cross-metathesis modes for highly active and selective metathesis of PE into linear alkanes with a narrow distribution range (C6-C18, >90%). Two separate systems: multi- enzyme machinery assembled in the recombinant cells, and metabolic engineered yeast system, dedicated to the transformation of alkanes into monomers will be developed. Monomers of diversified chain-lengths will be used for the synthesis of polyesters presenting different properties and polymer performances, assignable for various applications. A zero-waste solution to the plastic waste management is thus created to keep them out of the environment, and reclaim their values. The new properties and specific applications of the new polyester plastics produced from upcycling of PE waste will bring up the SMEs with new business opportunities by scalable, flexible and robust multi-product manufacturing processes for on-demand and small-volume output production.Description

Greenhouse gas (CO2 and methane, contribute total 92% GHG) is irreversibly changing global ecological cycle. Channeling CO2/methane into central carbon metabolism of industrial microbes to yield valuable drop-in biofuels offers a clean path for GHG sequestration and green economic transition. Starting from converting S. cerevisiae to a methylotrophic lifestyle by incorporating/engineering methanol utilization pathways; this project will design and construct CO2- fixation cycle in heterotrophic S. cerevisiae, and synchronously integrate fatty acid photodecarboxylase (FAP) gene. A new autotroph-like yeast to enable direct conversion of CO2 into alka(e)nes could thus be created. Natural or artificial CO2-fixation cycles will be incorporated into S. cerevisiae to enable a creditable autotrophic growth on CO2, and further engineered by adaptive lab evolution. Genomic integration of FAP gene in the autotrophic yeast will bridge the carbon flux pathways and be rewired for alka(e)ne synthesis.Description

Natural products are a rich source of compounds with a plethora of bioactivities including antimicrobial, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic. Flavonoids constitute a family of natural products with a broad variety in structure and activity, often highly substituted by functionalities of hydroxy, methoxy, or glycosylation which dictates their bioactivity. Recently, our collaborator from Korea (Prof. Jeahong Han’s Lab) discovered a gut microbe, namely Blautia producta MRG-PMF1, capable of catalyzing demethylation of PMFs and structurally related non-natural products. The observed
demethylation has been proposed to be catalyzed by the vitamin B12-dependent methyltransferase/ corrinoid protein complex. We aim to characterize the enzymatic system in vitro and utilize the natural activity towards natural product scaffolds to generate catalysts with very high selectivity.Description

Utilizing an unusual, light-dependent enzyme from a microalga to convert oils and fats from sustainable sources into ready-to-use biofuels.Description