University of Delaware

William Brian Whitaker

Eleftherios Terry Papoutsakis

Robert Kyle Bennett

Alan Fast

Nicholas Richard Sandoval

Jacqueline Gonzalez

Sergios Nicolaou

Vasiliki Falara

Maciek Antoniewicz

A non-naturally occurring microbe capable of growing in a medium comprising methanol is provided. The methanol contributes to a significant percentage (e.g., at least 40%) of the carbon source for the non-naturally occurring microbe, which expresses heterologous methanol dehydrogenase (MDH) and heterologous ribulose monophosphate (RuMP) pathway enzymes. Methods for producing liquid fuels and chemicals by the non-naturally occurring microbe and methods for preparing the non-naturally occurring microbe are also provided.

Synthetic methylotrophy to liquid fuels and chemicals

The present invention provides a non-naturally occurring microbe capable of growing in a medium comprising methanol, comprising a heterologous polynucleotide encoding a heterologous methanol dehydrogenase (MDH) derived from aorganism (Cor), wherein the MDH is expressed in the microbe, and wherein the MDH exhibits a Km of no more than 3 mM for methanol. Also provided are uses of the non-naturally occurring microbe for oxidizing methanol and producing a metabolite as well as the preparation of the non-naturally occurring microbe.

Synthetic methylotrophs

Growing community of inventors

Newark, DE, United States of America

William Brian Whitaker