Development of a Novel Engineered Bacterium to Convert Furfural to High-Value Chemicals 

The chemical industry urgently needs innovative and environmental-friendly technologies to produce chemicals from renewable sources. One promising approach is to produce chemicals from renewable and non-edible biomass, especially those from agricultural waste. During the hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass, a number of products are formed. In order to enhance the economic value of the process making use of lignocellulosic biomass, it is important to convert products with relatively lower value or lower demand to high-value chemicals. One main hydrolysis product from lignocellulosic biomass is furfural. The goal of this project is to develop novel whole-cell biocatalysts to convert furfural to high-value chemicals under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The bacterium Corynebacterium glutamicum will be engineered to tolerate a high concentration of furfural and product chemicals. The engineered strains will be designed to be switchable between aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Finally, the operating conditions of the process yielding optimal amount of products will be determined. The successful development of the proposed technology will enable the chemical industry to greatly enhance the economic outcome of bio-based chemicals and further reduce reliance on fossil fuels.