Zeaxanthin High-Titer Production via Engineered Xanthomonas Chassis Service

Zeaxanthin is a vital natural carotenoid recognized for its protective roles in eye health and high market value as a food colorant. Its conventional supply methods are inadequate: Natural extraction yields only small amounts and is highly dependent on agricultural constraints, while chemical synthesis often results in low efficiency and undesirable side products. A stable, high-yield bioproduction method is essential.

CD Biosynsis focuses on engineering a superior microbial system using the Xanthomonas chassis for highly efficient Zeaxanthin synthesis. Our core strategy involves comprehensive modification of the Xanthomonas chassis to maximize precursor flux through the carotenoid pathway and precision engineering of key enzymes for robust and complete conversion to Zeaxanthin. This provides a genetically stable, high-titer chassis capable of meeting industrial demand for high-purity, natural Zeaxanthin.

Pain Points

Despite its value, large-scale Zeaxanthin production is constrained by:

• Low Native Titer in Microbes: While some native carotenoid producers exist, their natural Zeaxanthin titer is low , making scale-up cost-prohibitive.
• Inefficient Carotenoid Flux: The upstream pathway providing the isoprenoid precursors is often tightly regulated in microbial hosts, severely limiting the carbon flux available for Zeaxanthin synthesis.
• Pathway Leakage and Side Products: Unoptimized enzymatic activity can lead to accumulation of intermediates ( beta-carotene, zeinoxanthin ) instead of the final target product, reducing the purity and yield of Zeaxanthin.
• Instability of Key Enzymes: The enzymes responsible for the final cyclization and hydroxylation steps are often sensitive to the microbial environment, leading to low catalytic efficiency and pathway imbalance.

A successful bioproduction method requires maximizing precursor flow and ensuring complete, high-efficiency conversion to the final product.

Solutions

CD Biosynsis utilizes comprehensive metabolic engineering and enzyme optimization to enhance Zeaxanthin production in the Xanthomonas chassis:

Modification of the Xanthomonas Chassis

           

We employ CRISPR-Cas technology to upregulate the native MEP pathway for maximal precursor supply, while downregulating competing pathways to focus carbon flux entirely toward carotenoid synthesis.

Engineering of Key Enzymes for Zeaxanthin Synthesis

We specifically engineer the beta-carotene hydroxylase ( CrtZ ) enzyme to boost its activity and substrate specificity, ensuring rapid and complete conversion of beta-carotene to high-purity Zeaxanthin.

Biosynthesis Pathway Balancing

Through systematic tuning of promoter and RBS strengths, we balance the expression levels of all pathway genes, eliminating intermediate accumulation (e.g., lycopene, beta-carotene ) and maximizing the yield of the final target product .

Enhanced Product Storage and Stability

We engineer the cell to enhance intracellular mechanisms (e.g., dedicated storage compartments) that protect the sensitive Zeaxanthin molecule from degradation and oxidation, improving long-term stability and titer.

This integrated approach transforms the Xanthomonas chassis into a high-performance cell factory, delivering high-purity natural Zeaxanthin at industrial scale.

Advantages

Choosing CD Biosynsis's Zeaxanthin engineering service offers the following core value:

Superior Titer and Purity

Optimized flux and balanced enzyme activity ensure a massive increase in final Zeaxanthin titer and minimizes co-purification of unwanted intermediates.

Cost-Effective and Scalable Production

Microbial fermentation offers a predictable, fast, and scalable production route that avoids the high costs and low yields of plant extraction.

Reduced By-product Contamination

Pathway balancing and engineered specificity drastically reduce the presence of beta-carotene and other by-products, simplifying downstream processing.

Stability and Yield Consistency

The genetically stable chassis and protected product storage ensure minimal batch-to-batch variation and high product integrity.

Bioproduction Purity Advantage

Our method delivers natural-source Zeaxanthin , highly preferred by consumers and regulators over chemically synthesized counterparts.

We provide the biosynthetic platform necessary to secure a high-quality, sustainable supply of this essential nutraceutical.

Process

CD Biosynsis's Zeaxanthin strain engineering service follows a standardized research workflow, ensuring every step is precise and controllable:

• Target Definition and Pathway Analysis: Define the target Zeaxanthin titer ( g/L ) and purity goal. Conduct a Metabolic Control Analysis ( MCA ) to identify limitations in MEP precursor supply and the CrtZ conversion step.
• Chassis Modification and Precursor Boosting: Use gene editing to upregulate the native MEP pathway and downregulate competitive carbon sinks, maximizing the supply of IPP/DMAPP .
• Key Enzyme Engineering ( CrtZ ): Engineer the CrtZ hydroxylase for enhanced specific activity and improved kinetic parameters, ensuring rapid conversion of intermediates to Zeaxanthin.
• Pathway Balancing and Integration: Systematically adjust the expression of all pathway genes to achieve optimal flux balance and eliminate intermediate accumulation. Integrate the final pathway chromosomally for stability.
• Performance Validation Experiments: Conduct comparative fed-batch fermentation, measuring the final Zeaxanthin titer and purity using HPLC . Validate the reduction of beta-carotene and other by-products.
• Result Report Output: Compile a Strain Engineering Experimental Report that includes genetic maps, metabolic flux data, enzyme kinetic reports, and a final purity/titer certificate, supporting commercial scale-up and regulatory filings.

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

Secure a high-performance microbial source for high-purity Zeaxanthin! CD Biosynsis provides customized strain engineering solutions:

• Detailed Metabolic Control and Pathway Balancing Report , guiding optimal fermentation strategy.
• Contracted clients receive consultation on optimizing the downstream purification and crystallization process for a high-purity final product.
• Experimental reports include complete raw data on titer, purity, and long-term strain stability , essential for regulatory and marketing claims.