Each year, factories around the world churn out more than 12 million metric tons of the organic chemical 1.3-butadiene, which is used in tires, adhesives, sealants and other plastic and rubber products. They produce it by an energy-intensive process that relies on petroleum, which contributes to climate change.
Scientists have tried for many years to create more environmentally friendly starting materials by using specially designed microbes. But no one had previously succeeded.
Now, scientists at the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, has achieved this goal by using sugar. The results were published in the latest issue of the journal Nature Communication.
The RIKEN team succeeded in this long-sought goal by focusing on two parts of the biomanufacturing process. They first engineered a bacterial enzyme that could convert a biological compound that can be developed from glucose into 1.3-butadiene. The researchers then modified a strain of the bacterium Escherichia coli to use this enzyme and produce the chemical. Since 1.3-butadiene is a gas at room temperature, it can be easily captured as the bacteria continue to divide and grow.
The technique still has a little way to go before it is ready for industrial primetime. The RIKEN team managed to synthesize only about 2 grams of 1.3-butadiene per liter of microbial brew. Much larger amounts will be needed for the method to be cost competitive with petroleum-based production.
