Protocellular Biocatalysis: A New Paradigm in Bioproduction

Project Description

The diversity, catalytic efficiency, mild operating conditions, and high regio-, stereo- and chemo-selectivity of enzymatic reactions present a tremendous opportunity to replace conventional energy and carbon-intensive chemical manufacturing processes. However, the economic viability of conventional biomanufacturing methods for producing diverse chemicals remains a persistent challenge. Here, we aim to use complex coacervate protocells as bioreactors to overcome these obstacles and transform the chemical manufacturing landscape. Made with synthetic polymers, these protocells mimic structures which would have served as simplistic evolutionary precursors to cells, and act as a bridge between cellular and cell-free biocatalysis, effectively combining advances in synthetic biology and material science. Their bottom-up construction presents tremendous opportunity for their systematic design, and we aim to leverage the high-throughput capabilities at the Living Biofoundry to do so.

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