2,5-Furandicarboxylic Acid FDCA Metabolic Engineering Service

2,5-Furandicarboxylic Acid FDCA is a pivotal bio-monomer precursor for next-generation Bio-monomers PEF Plastic Precursor e.g. polyethylene furanoate PEF, a sustainable alternative to PET. The main production challenge is that Chemical conversion of HMF is energy-intensive and requires metallic catalysts , which are costly and difficult to recycle. Furthermore, the furan-based feedstock HMF Hydroxymethylfurfural is unstable , complicating storage and reaction control.

CD Biosynsis offers a clean and efficient biocatalysis solution for FDCA production: Biocatalysis: Whole-cell biotransformation using engineered Pseudomonas or Rhodococcus strains to oxidize HMF to FDCA under mild conditions . This avoids harsh chemicals and high energy input. We maximize the conversion rate through Enzyme Engineering: Directed evolution of Aldehyde Dehydrogenase ADH for high efficiency . Optimizing ADH is key for the oxidation of both aldehyde groups in HMF and its intermediates, ensuring high yield and purity.

Pain Points

The industrial production of FDCA faces these key hurdles:

• Harsh Chemical Conditions: Conventional oxidation of HMF requires high temperature, high pressure, and costly noble metallic catalysts e.g. platinum, which results in a high capital expenditure and environmental footprint.
• Feedstock Stability: The precursor Hydroxymethylfurfural HMF is prone to degradation and polymerization during storage and reaction, leading to yield loss and formation of undesirable side products.
• Incomplete Oxidation: The microbial pathway involves three oxidation steps. Achieving complete oxidation of the intermediate compounds e.g. 5-Hydroxymethyl-2-furancarboxylic acid is often a kinetic bottleneck, leading to low purity.
• Enzyme Efficiency: The native enzymes responsible for HMF oxidation often have low specific activity and poor operational stability under industrial biocatalytic conditions.

A cost-effective and green solution requires efficient biocatalysts that operate under mild conditions with high specificity.

Solutions

CD Biosynsis utilizes biocatalysis and enzyme engineering to optimize FDCA production:

Whole-Cell Biocatalysis

           

We employ engineered Pseudomonas or Rhodococcus strains to co-express the necessary enzymes, performing the HMF oxidation in a single step under mild pH and temperature conditions .

Enzyme Directed Evolution

We use directed evolution or rational design to engineer the rate-limiting Aldehyde Dehydrogenase ADH enzyme to increase its catalytic efficiency and stability for complete oxidation of all aldehyde intermediates.

Co-factor Regeneration Optimization

The oxidation steps require NAD+ as a co-factor. We optimize the host's central metabolism to ensure efficient and continuous regeneration of NAD+ , preventing co-factor limitation and maximizing conversion rate.

High-Purity Product Recovery

FDCA produced biocatalytically has high purity, simplifying downstream processing. We offer optimization of crystallization and acid precipitation protocols for high-yield isolation. [Image of High Conversion Efficiency Icon]

This biocatalytic platform provides an environmentally superior and cost-effective route to high-purity FDCA.

Advantages

Our FDCA engineering service is dedicated to pursuing the following production goals:

Environmentally Benign Process Icon

Biocatalysis avoids harsh chemicals, metallic catalysts, high energy input , significantly lowering the environmental impact.

High Product Purity and Yield Icon

Enzyme specificity ensures minimal byproduct formation and near-theoretical conversion of HMF to FDCA. [Image of Cost Reduction Icon]

Mild Reaction Conditions Icon

The reaction proceeds efficiently at ambient temperature and pressure , simplifying reactor design and operation.

Efficient HMF Conversion Icon

Whole-cell biocatalysis overcomes HMF instability by rapidly converting the feedstock to the final product FDCA.

Scalable and Robust System Icon

Engineered Pseudomonas/Rhodococcus strains are highly robust and suitable for large-scale biotransformation processes.

We provide a sustainable and cost-competitive platform for PEF plastic precursor production.

Process

Our FDCA biocatalysis engineering service follows a rigorous, multi-stage research workflow:

• Enzyme Identification and Engineering: Identify high-activity HMF oxidizing enzymes e.g. alcohol oxidase, aldehyde dehydrogenase and use directed evolution to enhance their activity and substrate specificity.
• Whole-Cell Host Construction: Integrate the engineered enzyme cascade into a robust host e.g. Pseudomonas or Rhodococcus for whole-cell biotransformation.
• Co-factor Optimization: Engineer the host's central carbon metabolism to efficiently regenerate the NAD+ co-factor required for the oxidation steps, ensuring high conversion efficiency.
• Bioconversion Process Optimization: Optimize the whole-cell reaction conditions e.g. substrate loading, cell density, pH, and temperature to achieve maximum HMF conversion rate and final FDCA titer.
• Product Isolation and Purity Analysis: Develop efficient downstream protocols for FDCA recovery e.g. acidification and crystallization, and confirm product purity via HPLC/NMR.

Technical communication is maintained throughout the process, focusing on timely feedback regarding yield and product quality attributes.

Explore the potential for a green, high-purity FDCA supply. CD Biosynsis provides customized biocatalysis and enzyme engineering solutions:

• Detailed Bioconversion Rate and Titer Reports g/L/h, g/L from whole-cell biotransformation runs.
• Consultation on HMF feedstock handling and reaction stability strategies.
• Experimental reports include complete raw data on enzyme activity assays, co-factor regeneration rates, and final FDCA purity analysis .