Succinic Acid Bioproduction Engineering Service

Succinic Acid (SA) is a crucial platform chemical used in the synthesis of polymers, resins, biodegradable plastics, and pharmaceutical intermediates. Traditional production via petrochemical synthesis requires high energy consumption and relies on non-renewable feedstocks. While microbial fermentation offers a sustainable alternative, it is often plagued by many by-products (such as acetic acid, lactic acid, and ethanol), which reduce the yield and increase the cost of purification.

CD Biosynsis offers a synthetic biology service focused on enhancing the microbial production of SA. Our core strategy involves modification of the metabolic pathway of Actinobacillus succinogenes , a high-potential native SA producer, to eliminate competing pathways and maximize carbon flux towards SA. This is combined with the optimization of anaerobic fermentation conditions (e.g., pH control, CO2 concentration, and nutrient feeding) to ensure the engineered strain performs robustly and achieves high titer and yield. This integrated approach aims to deliver a high-purity, sustainable, and cost-effective bioproduction route for this vital chemical.

Pain Points

Achieving cost-competitive and high-yield Succinic Acid production through fermentation faces these major hurdles:

• High Energy Consumption in Chemical Route: Petrochemical processes are energy-intensive and rely on fossil fuels , making them environmentally and economically vulnerable.
• By-product Formation in Biosynthesis: The inherent structure of microbial metabolism means that carbon flux is diverted to unwanted side products (acetate, ethanol, lactate), severely reducing the SA yield and increasing downstream purification complexity.
• SA Toxicity and Inhibition: Succinic Acid is an organic acid, and high concentrations in the fermentation broth can lead to product inhibition and stress on the cell, limiting final titer and productivity.
• Inefficient CO2 Fixation: SA production requires CO2 fixation via PEP carboxykinase. Insufficient CO2 or low enzyme activity can be a bottleneck for carbon utilization .

A cost-effective solution must eliminate by-product formation and maximize the specific production rate.

Solutions

CD Biosynsis utilizes advanced metabolic engineering to optimize Succinic Acid production in A. succinogenes :

Modification of Metabolic Pathway of Actinobacillus succinogenes

           

We employ genome editing to knock out competing pathways (e.g., genes for lactate, acetate, and ethanol production) to dedicate carbon flux exclusively to SA synthesis.

Optimization of Anaerobic Fermentation Conditions

We tailor the fermentation parameters, including pH and CO2 sparging rates , to maintain optimal SA production while mitigating cell stress and ensuring high CO2 fixation.

Enhancement of CO2 Fixation and NAD(H) Balance

We engineer the strain to overexpress key CO2 fixing enzymes (PEP carboxykinase) and ensure a balanced NADH supply required for the final SA reduction steps.

Tolerance and Excretion Improvement

We explore engineering the cell membrane or overexpressing membrane transporters to improve the cell's tolerance to SA and facilitate product excretion.

This systematic approach is focused on overcoming internal metabolic flux diversion and ensuring robust performance under high-titer conditions.

Advantages

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

Minimized Byproduct Formation

Knockouts ensure high selectivity for SA production, leading to a much higher yield and purity.

High Carbon Efficiency and CO2 Utilization

Optimized pathways ensure efficient use of feedstock and consume CO2 as a reactant , contributing to environmental sustainability.

Reduced Purification Costs

High purity crude broth resulting from byproduct elimination simplifies downstream processing and lowers costs significantly. [Image of Cost Reduction Icon]

Renewable Feedstock Use

Fermentation utilizes low-cost sugars (glucose, xylose) as feedstock, decoupling production from fossil fuel prices .

Robust Anaerobic Performance

The engineered A. succinogenes is designed to maintain high viability and productivity under industrial anaerobic conditions.

We provide an integrated platform aimed at maximizing the quality and cost-effectiveness of sustainable Succinic Acid production.

Process

Our Succinic Acid strain engineering service follows a standardized, iterative research workflow:

• Metabolic Pathway Knockout: Systematically delete genes responsible for the synthesis of major byproducts (lactate, acetate, ethanol) to force flux toward the SA pathway.
• CO2 Fixation Enhancement: Overexpress key CO2 consuming enzymes (e.g., PEP carboxykinase) and optimize NADH regeneration for efficient SA synthesis .
• Tolerance and Excretion Engineering: Introduce or modify genes to enhance the cell's tolerance to high SA concentrations and improve product efflux.
• Fermentation Optimization: Develop and validate a controlled anaerobic fed-batch protocol , adjusting pH and CO2 supply to maximize SA titer and yield.
• Performance Validation: Test the final engineered strain in bioreactors to assess volumetric productivity, final SA titer, and purity .
• Result Report Output: Compile a detailed Experimental Report including genome modification data, flux analysis, and fermentation metrics (yield, titer, and purity) , supporting CMC documentation.

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

Explore the potential for a high-purity, sustainable Succinic Acid supply. CD Biosynsis provides customized strain engineering solutions:

• Detailed Metabolic Flux and Titer Analysis Report , illustrating the success of by-product elimination.
• Consultation on fermentation control strategies optimized for CO2 utilization and pH maintenance.
• Experimental reports include complete raw data on carbon yield (g SA/g glucose) and product purity , essential for industrial adoption.