CNPEM study describes a new biocatalyst that can use different renewable sources like lignocellulosic and oil-derived biomass to produce renewable hydrocarbons, important precursors for chemical intermediaries and biofuels for long-distance transport
A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) describes a newly discovered enzyme called OleTPRN which shows potential for use in industrial processes to replace petroleum with plant-based raw materials in manufacturing biofuels for long-distance transport (aviation, ocean, and land shipping) and to produce biologically-based plastics, polymers, resins, and solvents.
The OleTPRN enzyme can convert fatty acids into alkenes (olefins), an important chemical building block that accounts for approximately 70% of the petrochemical sector, with potential impacts in various areas such as the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical sectors.
Active site of the decarboxylate enzyme discovered by the LNBR/CNPEM which was investigated using Sirius, the cutting-edge Brazilian synchrotron
The enzyme, which was identified by researchers at the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), an organization supervised by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), offers a wide range of opportunities because of its compatibility with industrially significant microorganisms and because it allows a broad range of raw materials to be utilized, including those rich in oleic acid, one of the most abundant fatty acids in nature.
This discovery represents a new paradigm in the biological production of hydrocarbons since the existing enzymatic systems are inhibited by oleic acid and also require conditions that are not compatible with the microorganisms typically used in industrial biotechnology.
“In this project, we used an interdisciplinary approach, from the genomic study of hydrocarbon-producing bacteria to approaches at the atomic level using the Brazilian synchrotron and supercomputers to describe a new biocatalytic mechanism to produce different chain-size hydrocarbons, one of the largest classes of precursor molecules for biofuels and chemicals,” notes Letícia Zanphorlin, who coordinated the study.
“Drop-in” challenge
The OleTPRN enzyme discovered at the CNPEM shows promise for developing what are known as “drop-in” biofuels and bioproducts, which have chemical and physical characteristics similar to petroleum derivatives and can be used as direct replacements without the need to adapt existing machinery and infrastructure.
“One of the major challenges for the production of drop-in biofuels for aviation is oxygen; this sector requires molecules that do not contain oxygen in its fuel, and is why the biofuels we have today, like ethanol and biodiesel, can’t be used for aviation, for example. The enzyme discovered by the CNPEM can deoxygenize raw materials through a decarboxylation reaction that produces hydrocarbons and helps solve this problem,” Zanphorlin explains.
Sirius
Understanding how this new enzyme works required a combination of the state-of-the-art synchrotron light produced at Sirius and the Santos Dumont supercomputer, both Brazilian scientific facilities. Combining these technologies made it possible to explain the molecular underpinnings of the decarboxylation reaction in fatty acids to form hydrocarbons.
“We described in detail the atomic structure of the enzyme using the Manacá beamline at Sirius. The research revealed that the OleTPRN enzyme belongs to the cytochrome P450 superfamily, and is a metalloenzyme that requires iron to carry out a redox reaction involving a sophisticated system of electron and proton transport for biocatalysis. The Manacá experimental station produced all the data needed on the molecular features at the atomic level, about how the substrate becomes involved in the enzyme complex and the essential molecular interactions, and we also discovered new aspects that govern the fatty acid decarboxylation reaction to produce alkenes,” says Zanphorlin.
Support and partnerships
The recent study published in PNAS also involved the collaboration of researchers at the University of North Carolina and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and resources from the Brazilian National Scientific Computation Laboratory (LNCC).
The research was funded by the CNPEM and the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) and has already yielded potential patents of interest to industry. FAPESP processes 2018/04897-9, 2019/08855-1, 2019/12599-0, and2020/01967-6 are linked to this research.
The CNPEM has signed various cooperation agreements with multinational companies in the energy sector to develop biotech solutions that will offer greater scalability to the production of hydrocarbons from renewable sources.
Next steps
The expectation is for this new enzyme to be used on a large scale in industrial processes and for metabolic engineering of microbial strains to produce hydrocarbons from fermentation processes, assisting in the transition to a low-carbon economy.
The CNPEM researchers continue their work developing biological processes to produce hydrocarbons from lignocellulosic and oil-based biomass. Other studies currently underway should soon be able to evaluate the sustainability and feasibility of these biological routes.
About the CNPEM
With a sophisticated and vibrant environment for research and development is the only one of its kind in Brazil and found in only a few scientific centers in the world, the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) is a private, non-profit organization overseen by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI). The Center operates four national laboratories and is home to Sirius, the most complex project in Brazilian science and one of the world’s most advanced synchrotron light sources. The CNPEM is home to highly specialized multi-thematic teams, globally competitive lab infrastructure that is open to the scientific community, strategic lines of research, innovative projects in partnerships with the productive sector, and training for researchers and students. The Center is an environment driven by research into solutions that impact the areas of health, energy and renewable materials, agri-environmental, and quantum technologies. In 2022, with support from the Brazilian Ministry of Education (MEC), the CNPEM expanded its activities with the opening of the Ilum School of Science. This interdisciplinary undergraduate program in science, technology, and innovation implements innovative ideas to provide a high quality free and full-time education while immersed in the research environment at the CNPEM. The CNPEM 360 Platform provides visitors with a virtual immersive visit to the Center’s main environments and activities. Visit at: https://pages.cnpem.br/cnpem360/.
