Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers have 3D printed live cells that convert glucose to ethanol and carbon dioxide gas (CO2), a substance that resembles beer, demonstrating a technology that can lead to high biocatalytic efficiency.
Bioprinting living mammalian cells into complex 3D scaffolds has been widely studied and demonstrated for applications ranging from tissue regeneration to drug discovery to clinical implementation. In addition to mammalian cells, there is a growing interest in printing functional microbes as biocatalysts.
Microbes are extensively used in industry to convert carbon sources into valuable end-product chemicals that have applications in the food industry, biofuel production, waste treatment and bioremediation. Using live microbes instead of inorganic catalysts has advantages of mild reaction conditions, self-regeneration, low cost and catalytic speci?city.
The new research, which appears as an ACS Editors’ Choice article in the journal Nano Letters, shows that the additive manufacturing of live whole-cells can assist in research in microbial behaviors, communication, interaction with the microenvironment and for new bioreactors with high volumetric productivity.
In a case study, the team printed freeze-dried live biocatalytic yeast cells (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) into porous 3D structures. The unique engineered geometries allowed the cells to convert glucose to ethanol and CO2 very efficiently and similar to how yeast on its own can be used to make beer. Enabled by this new bio-ink material, the printed structures are self-supporting, with high resolution, tunable cell densities, large scale, high catalytic activity and long-term viability. More importantly, if genetically modified yeast cells are used, high-valuable pharmaceuticals, chemicals, food and biofuels can be produced as well.
“Compared to bulk film counterparts, printed lattices with thin filament and macro-pores allowed us to achieve rapid mass-transfer leading to several-fold increase in ethanol production,” said LLNL materials scientist Fang Qian, the lead and corresponding author on the paper. “Our ink system can be applied to a variety of other catalytic microbes to address broad application needs. The bioprinted 3D geometries developed in this work could serve as a versatile platform for process intensi?cation of an array of bioconversion processes using diverse microbial biocatalysts for production of high-value products or bioremediation applications.”
Other Livermore researchers include Cheng Zhu, Jennifer Knipe, Samantha Ruelas, Joshua Stolaroff, Joshua DeOtte, Eric Duoss, Christopher Spadaccini and Sarah Baker. This work was conducted in collaboration with National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
“There are several benefits to immobilizing biocatalysts, including allowing continuous conversion processes and simplifying product purification,” said chemist Baker, the other corresponding author on the paper. “This technology gives control over cell density, placement and structure in a living material. The ability to tune these properties can be used to improve production rates and yields. Furthermore, materials containing such high cell densities may take on new, unexplored beneficial properties because the cells comprise a large fraction of the materials.”
“This is the first demonstration for 3D printing immobilized live cells to create chemical reactors,” said engineer Duoss, a co-author on the paper. “This approach promises to make ethanol production faster, cheaper, cleaner and more efficient. Now we are extending the concept by exploring other reactions, including combining printed microbes with more traditional chemical reactors to create ‘hybrid’ or ‘tandem’ systems that unlock new possibilities.”
Learn more: 3D-printed live cells convert glucose to ethanol, carbon dioxide to enhance catalytic efficiency
The Latest on: Biocatalysts
[google_news title=”” keyword=”biocatalysts” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Biocatalysts
- Global Starter Cultures Market Envisioned to Achieve US$ 2,154.3 Million by 2033, Fueled by 6.1% CAGRon April 26, 2024 at 12:42 am
The worldwide sales of starter cultures, which were previously estimated to be worth around US$ 1,123.1 million in 2022, are now expected to boost up. Currently, in the year 2023, the global starter ...
- Making sustainable biotechnology a reality: Joined forces aim to improve biocatalystson April 25, 2024 at 7:56 am
Everything biobased: plastic, medicine, and fuel. It seems like a futuristic utopia. But for how long? A collaboration of researchers now proposes an idea to accelerate the development process. By ...
- Light-driven enzyme engineered and repurposed to catalyse unnatural reactionon April 23, 2024 at 1:30 am
A natural photoenzyme found in algae has been artificially evolved to perform an unnatural and entirely new function for the first time. The work, which converted fatty acid decarboxylase (FAP) into ...
- Researchers create nanomembrane to increase reaction rate in chemical productionon April 18, 2024 at 7:24 am
Flow-through reactors packed with enzymes can produce certain chemicals in a gentle and careful way. However, their performance has so far been limited. A research team from the Helmholtz-Zentrum ...
- Enhancing chemical production with enzyme-packed flow-through reactors using tailor-made nanomembraneson April 17, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Enzymes are biocatalysts that can be used to produce chemicals in an environmentally friendly and energy-saving way. However, the process does not always make it easy to use them efficiently. One of ...
- Generative AI illuminates enzyme secrets using sequences evolved in natureon March 20, 2024 at 1:55 pm
Enzymes, nature's remarkable biocatalysts, play an integral role in various aspects of daily life. Consider the awe-inspiring sight of fireflies lighting up a summer night. Their captivating glow ...
- LNZA LanzaTech Global, Inc.on March 2, 2024 at 1:30 am
It is also developing biocatalysts and processes to produce a suite of additional products utilizing novel biocatalysts, including acetone and isopropanol (IPA) and industrial solvents used in ...
- Powering nitrogenases: Researchers find new targets for improving biocatalystson February 26, 2024 at 8:12 am
With the two ferredoxins, the researchers have now identified clear targets to influence the electron flow and thus the performance of nitrogenases as biocatalysts. "Our results are an important ...
- Patrick Johnsonon November 12, 2023 at 2:00 pm
Funded energy related research focuses on the development of recyclable biocatalysts. Currently we are investigating the fabrication and utility of immobilizing enzymes involved in cellulose ...
- Maohong Fanon November 12, 2023 at 2:00 pm
They are also interested in the application of biocatalysts for biomass conversion to chemicals and fuels. In many cases they prepare and characterize nanoscale catalysts for these purposes.
via Bing News