Sustainable nylon production made possible by bacteria discovery

Date:
August 13, 2020
Source:
University of Edinburgh
Summary:
Scientists have developed a sustainable method of making one of
the most valuable industrial chemicals in the world - known as
adipic acid - - which is a key component of the material.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Nylon manufacture could be revolutionised by the discovery that bacteria
can make a key chemical involved in the process, without emitting harmful greenhouse gases.


========================================================================== Scientists have developed a sustainable method of making one of the most valuable industrial chemicals in the world -- known as adipic acid --
which is a key component of the material.

More than two million tonnes of the versatile fabric -- used to make
clothing, furniture and parachutes -- is produced globally each year,
with a market value of around -L-5 billion.

Industrial production of adipic acid relies on fossil fuels and produces
large amounts of nitrous oxide -- a greenhouse gas three hundred times
more potent than carbon dioxide. A sustainable production method is
urgently required to reduce the damage caused to the environment, the
team says.

Scientists from the University of Edinburgh altered the genetic code of
the common bacteria E.coli in the lab. The modified cells were grown
in liquid solutions containing a naturally occurring chemical, called
guaiacol, which is the main component of a compound that gives plants
their shape.

Following a 24-hour incubation period, the modified bacteria transformed
the guaiacol into adipic acid, without producing nitrous oxide.

The environmentally friendly approach could be scaled up to make adipic
acid on an industrial scale, researchers say.

The study is published in ACS Synthetic Biology. It was funded by the
Carnegie Trust and UK Research and Innovation.

Lead author Jack Suitor, a PhD student in the University of Edinburgh's
School of Biological Sciences, said the team is continually exploring
new ways of using bacteria to produce chemicals.

He said: "I am really excited by these results. It is the first time
adipic acid has been made directly from guaiacol, which is one of the
largest untapped renewable resources on the planet. This could entirely
change how nylon is made." Dr Stephen Wallace, Principle Investigator
of the study, and a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow suggested microbes could
help solve many other problems facing society.

He said: "If bacteria can be programmed to help make nylon from plant
waste - - something that cannot be achieved using traditional chemical
methods -- we must ask ourselves what else they could do, and where the
limits lie. We are all familiar with the use of microbes to ferment food
and beer -- now we can ferment materials and medicines. The possibilities
of this approach to create a sustainable future are staggering."

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Edinburgh. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Jack T. Suitor, Simon Varzandeh, Stephen Wallace. One-Pot
Synthesis of
Adipic Acid from Guaiacol in Escherichia coli. ACS Synthetic
Biology, 2020; DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.0c00254 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200813131259.htm

--- up 4 weeks, 1 day, 1 hour, 55 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1337:3/111)