ZymoChem Collaborates with Los Alamos National Laboratory in Development of Bio-Based Adipic Acid
The biotechnology company ZymoChem recently announced a new Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Government and the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The agreement, administered through the Agile BioFoundry (ABF) and supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), will advance ZymoChem’s development of bio-based adipic acid, a key precursor to bio-nylon 6,6.
Under the agreement, ZymoChem and LANL will collaborate on metabolic engineering of E. coli to produce adipic acid in economically feasible quantities and rates. ZymoChem’s proprietary carbon-conserving pathways are designed to maximize theoretical yield, and the collaboration will focus on improving the titer and rate of production. LANL will apply technologies developed through the Agile BioFoundry, including biosensor adaptation, enzyme engineering, and adaptive laboratory evolution, to help accelerate strain engineering breakthroughs that will bring bio-adipic acid to commercial-scale production.
Over the course of the twelve-month agreement, the two organizations will work through three technical phases: adapting an adipic acid biosensor for use in E. coli, applying that biosensor to high-throughput strain evolution, and engineering a key bottleneck enzyme for improved stability and catalytic efficiency. The work will conclude with a final report documenting results against ZymoChem’s titer, rate, and yield targets.
Additional information is available on ZymoChem’s website at zymochem.com.
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