Restricted Research - Award List, Note/Discussion Page
Fiscal Year: 2023
128 University of North Texas (142016)
Principal Investigator: Henard,Calvin A
Total Amount of Contract, Award, or Gift (Annual before 2011): $ 178,903
Exceeds $250,000 (Is it flagged?): No
Start and End Dates: 8/15/22 - 7/31/25
Restricted Research: YES
Academic Discipline: Biological Sciences
Department, Center, School, or Institute: College of Science
Title of Contract, Award, or Gift: Development of advanced biocatalyst tools and resources to enable biogas-based biomanufacturing.
Name of Granting or Contracting Agency/Entity:
National Science Foundation
CFDA Link: NSF
47.074
Program Title:
none
CFDA Linked: Biological Sciences
Note:
Overview. Landfill- and anaerobic digestion (AD)-derived biogas [consisting of a methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) gas mixture] is a high-volume resource for production of biofuels and bioproducts. However, much of the biogas currently produced is either unused and released to the atmosphere or burned for combined heat and power, both of which contribute to the significant rise in atmospheric levels of CH4 and CO2 greenhouse gases. Thus, the development of technologies targeting the utilization of biogas are needed as part of a sustainable, carbon-efficient bioeconomy. Biological conversion of biogas by methanotrophic bacteria represents a promising route to valorize this abundant, squandered carbon source while simultaneously mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. Recent evidence supports that some methanotrophs can co-utilize CO2 and CH4 as carbon sources. These dual CH4/CO2-utilizing methanotrophs represent potential biocatalysts for conversion of biogas, but their underlying metabolism is incompletely understood. Further, a lack of advanced genetic and synthetic biology tools limits high-throughput metabolic engineering of these bacteria. This project will develop enabling, high-throughput methanotroph genetic tools and elucidate the dual CH4 and CO2 metabolism of the gammaproteobacterial methanotroph Methylococcus capsulatus. Data generated during these investigations will refine predictive models of M. capsulatus intermediary metabolism to guide the development of biotechnologies aimed at the sequestration/utilization of CH4 and CO2 greenhouse gases as feedstocks for the production of renewable fuels and chemicals. Intellectual Merit. Expansion of an advanced genetic and metabolic engineering toolbox and identification of the coordinated metabolic pathways mediating dual CH4/CO2 utilization and conversion in M. capsulatus will enable the rational metabolic engineering of these organisms for the simultaneous mitigation of greenhouse gases and biomanufacturing of green fuels and chemicals. Dual one-carbon CH4/CO2 metabolism may be widespread in nature; thus, this project will also expand our understanding of microbial biogeochemical cycling and the potential impacts of rising atmospheric greenhouse gases on the bacterial populations involved. Broader Impacts. This project will facilitate the training of underrepresented graduate students at University of North Texas, a Hispanic-serving institution, to promote diversification of STEM scientists. Further, the project will establish an inaugural University of North Texas International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) team consisting of diverse high school, undergraduate, and graduate students. The team will develop a novel synthetic biology research project and participate in the iGEM competition that follows the Design-Build-Test-Learn engineering framework. The team will also engage with the broader community to promote synthetic biology via scientific outreach activities.
Discussion: No discussion notes