Two challenges facing the world today include the ongoing
pollution of the environment with carbon dioxide which contributes to global
warming and the increasing consumption of the world’s natural energy resources
of fossil fuels. A problematic cycle exists where the increase in fossil fuel
consumption correlates with an increase in carbon dioxide air pollution.
An elegant solution to these challenges would be to
cultivate microorganisms such as cyanobacteria that take and utilize carbon
dioxide for their growth while producing useful products and alternative sources
of energy.
Researchers at Arizona State University have developed
methods to modify and grow cyanobacteria to achieve the controllable production
of a desired metabolic product.
The engineered bacteria also demonstrate increased uptake
and fixation of carbon dioxide as compared to unmodified bacteria. The metabolic
products overexpressed by the bacteria can be processed into biofuels,
bioplastics, animal feed additives, pigments or anti-oxidants, or organic
fertilizers.
Potential Applications
- Biofuels
- Carbon remediation
- Bioplastics
- Renewable feedstocks for fine chemical production
Benefits and Advantages
- Versatile: the bacteria can be modified to express many
products of interest
- Controllable: production is regulated at the genetic
level
- Renewable: cyanobacteria growth is well studied and
robust
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For more information about the inventor(s) and their
research, please see
Dr.
Vermaas' departmental webpage
Dr. Vermaas' research webpage
