SBIR Phase I: Improved Proton ATPase for the Anaerobic Biomanufacturing of Organic Acids

The broader impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project includes rural revitalization, greenhouse gas emissions reduction, and domestic supply chain security. To meet the urgent need for more sustainable manufacturing supply chains with reduced greenhouse gas emissions and to remove reliance on foreign supply chains and petroleum, this project will include researching and commercializing the anaerobic bioproduction of commodity chemicals.

Acrylates are a primary monomeric component in paints, coatings, plastics, and super-absorbent polymer applications. 3-Hydroxypropionate is a precursor to acrylates and acrylic acid. A bio-based production method must be created to significantly reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of the current petrochemical method for acrylate production. The most prevalent and heavily explored form of biomanufacturing is aerobic fermentation.

However, due to their large capital and operating costs, as well as a lack of available aerobic fermentation capacity, aerobic fermentation efforts have largely been unable to scale.

The proposed project seeks to modify yeast microbes to produce chemicals as a byproduct of their growth, just like yeast naturally creates ethanol. Specifically, these chemicals should be made in a way that helps the microbes continue to grow and maintain a balanced energy state. The project is focusing on developing ways to produce commercially valuable organic acids such as 3-hydroxypropionic acid.

However, unlike ethanol production, making these acids usually requires using extra energy to push the products out of the microbe cells. A significant goal for the project is to find methods to reduce the amount of energy needed for this process, as efficient energy use is essential for using these methods in settings that don't have oxygen. While previous studies have laid some groundwork, solving the energy-efficient export of these acids is still an unresolved challenge.

By utilizing a vast array of documented genetic variations along with advanced computational tools for designing proteins and innovative strategies for selection, a method is proposed to find or develop an enzyme that operates within a cell membrane and can expel more than one particle for each energy molecule it breaks down, a process which is possible within the laws of thermodynamics.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.