Caprolactam Precursor Muconic Acid Engineering Service

Muconic Acid (cis,cis-Muconic Acid) is a high-value bio-monomer that serves as a key Nylon 6 Monomer precursor, offering a sustainable route to produce Caprolactam and adipic acid. The traditional method is unsustainable: Chemical synthesis from petrochemical Benzene is energy-intensive and toxic. This petrochemical dependence limits sustainability and increases environmental impact.

CD Biosynsis offers a complete biocatalytic platform: Metabolic Engineering: Engineer the Shikimate pathway in E. coli to produce cis, cis-Muconic Acid. This effectively converts renewable sugar feedstock. We then apply Biocatalysis: Develop an efficient Cyclization and Reduction step to convert Muconic Acid to Caprolactam. This two-step bioprocess replaces the harsh, multi-step, fossil fuel-reliant chemical synthesis, offering a green, high-yield path to Nylon 6 precursors.

Pain Points

Traditional Caprolactam synthesis via Benzene or Cyclohexane routes is plagued by these issues:

• Toxic Feedstock: Chemical synthesis begins with Benzene a known carcinogen derived from petrochemicals, posing significant handling and environmental risks.
• Energy Intensive: The chemical conversion process e.g. catalytic oxidation and Beckmann rearrangement requires extreme temperatures and pressures, resulting in high utility costs.
• Inefficient Bioconversion: Biological routes to Muconic Acid often suffer from low titer and yield due to bottlenecks in the Shikimate pathway and product toxicity.
• Downstream Purification Complexity: The resulting muconic acid must be converted to Adipic Acid or Caprolactam, which requires expensive and harsh catalytic hydrogenation steps.

A bio-based platform using Muconic Acid offers a cleaner, renewable alternative.

Solutions

CD Biosynsis designs a Shikimate-to-Muconic Acid platform for Nylon monomer synthesis:

Shikimate Pathway Metabolic Engineering

           

We engineer E. coli by overexpressing DAHP synthase and chorismate lyase pathway enzymes to efficiently channel carbon flux to cis, cis-Muconic Acid.

Efficient Biocatalytic Conversion to Caprolactam

We develop and optimize enzymatic cascades for the cyclization and reduction of Muconic Acid to Caprolactam or Adipic Acid precursors.

Byproduct Minimization and Titer Enhancement

We knockout competing aromatic amino acid pathways e.g. Tryptophan synthesis to maximize carbon flow to Muconic Acid and increase titer.

Product Tolerance and Recovery Integration

We engineer the host for tolerance to Muconic Acid and integrate in situ product removal to achieve high product titer.

This biocatalytic route offers a clean, low-energy alternative for Nylon monomer production.

Advantages

Our Caprolactam Precursor Muconic Acid engineering service offers these core benefits:

Non-Toxic, Renewable Feedstock

Production uses renewable sugars e.g. glucose, avoiding the use of toxic petrochemical Benzene.

Energy and Cost Savings

Bioconversion operates at mild conditions, drastically reducing the high energy demand of traditional chemical processes.

Direct Path to Nylon Precursors

Muconic Acid can be efficiently hydrogenated or cyclized to Adipic Acid or Caprolactam, the monomers for Nylon 6,6 and Nylon 6 respectively.

High Bio-Based Titer

Advanced metabolic engineering in E. coli results in Muconic Acid titers that are commercially competitive, minimizing downstream costs.

Purity and Selectivity

The engineered Shikimate pathway is highly specific for cis, cis-Muconic Acid, simplifying purification for polymerization.

We deliver a sustainable, high-performance platform for Nylon precursor production.

Process

Our Muconic Acid Caprolactam Precursor engineering service follows a rigorous, multi-stage research workflow:

• Shikimate Pathway Overexpression: Clone and optimize genes e.g. aroF, aroB in E. coli to enhance flux through the Shikimate intermediate.
• Muconic Acid Synthesis Enzyme Optimization: Engineer and overexpress 3-dehydroshikimate dehydratase DHS and protocatechuate decarboxylase PDC for high-titer Muconic Acid production.
• Caprolactam Biocatalytic Route Development: Identify and optimize enzymes for Muconic Acid cyclization and reduction to Adiponitrile or Caprolactam precursors.
• Feedstock Tolerance and Titer Improvement: Implement efflux pump engineering or ISPR strategies to reduce Muconic Acid toxicity and boost titer.
• Process Validation: Perform fed-batch fermentation and analyze Muconic Acid titer, yield, and purity to confirm industrial viability.

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

Explore the potential for a green, high-yield Caprolactam Precursor Muconic Acid supply. CD Biosynsis provides customized strain and process engineering solutions:

• Detailed Muconic Acid Titer, Yield, and Biocatalytic Conversion Efficiency Reports g/L, percent theoretical, percent yield.
• Consultation on downstream hydrogenation or cyclization strategies for Adipic Acid or Caprolactam.
• Experimental reports include complete raw data on Shikimate pathway flux analysis, enzyme activities, and product tolerance assays.