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Team:Bielefeld-CeBiTec/Project/Isobutanol/Theory
From 2014.igem.org
Isobutanol
Short summary
Within the third module of our project the products of the carbon dioxide fixation will be used by the cell to produce the key metabolite pyruvate. Pyruvate can be converted in different products. We decided to introduce an isobutanol production pathway. For this we want to use and improve existing BioBricks (iGEM Team Formosa 2011/2012).
The modularity of BioBricks enables the exchange of a variety of producing systems. The producing pathway of variable high value products derived from pyruvate can be implemented. Hence, products like isoprene, putrescine or even antibiotics are possible candidates with industrial application.
Here you will find our results of the production of Isobutanol.
You can find more information about the underlying theory, our genetical approach and an outlook on our wiki
Product Synthesis
The third module benefits from the two modules before. E. coli has gained energy equivalents and reduction equivalents to generate pyruvate by binding carbon dioxide. By using the Calvin cycle the product of our CO2 fixation is pyruvate. This substance is now used as the initial point for the product synthesis. Pyruvate is a starting point of the producing pathways of a variety of high value products like isobutanol, isoprene, putrescine or even antibiotics. Our project implements the producing pathway of isobutanol by using and improving existing BioBricks (iGEM Team Formosa 2011/2012).
Figure 1: Schematic illustration of module III
Isobutanol
Isobutanol is an organic compound. In IUPAC nomenclature it is called 2-methylpropan-1-ol. The advantage of this substance is that it has application fields in many industrial production sites because of this properties. For example it is used in varnish, as an gasoline additive or in paint solvents.
We think that isobutanol is a product which can be used in several ways which makes it interesting as an product of our production system.
