Korean researchers produce three key nylon precursors with microbes
In South Korea, KAIST researchers have developed a technology that can produce key nylon precursors in an eco-friendly way using microbes. A research team has developed an Escherichia coli-based modular platform capable of producing three key monomers (basic molecular units that make up polymers) of “nylon 6,6” and “nylon 6″—adipic acid, hexamethylenediamine, and epsilon-caprolactam—from “glycerol (an eco-friendly bio-based byproduct generated during biodiesel production),” a renewable carbon source, using systems metabolic engineering (a technology that designs and optimizes microbial metabolic pathways to maximize the production of desired substances). The results were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Category: Research
