Thomas Thomik and Dr. Mislav Oreb from GU’s Institute of Molecular Biosciences describe the “molecular conveyor belts” in a recent issue of Nature Chemical Biology. Ultimately, the discovery could improve output of yeast-based bioprocesses and reduce the formation of unwanted byproducts.
“We have built a scaffold protein that binds to the transport protein and then serves as a docking station for the desired enzymes,” Oreb says. “Recognition codes in the enzymes enable them to dock. The result is an accumulation of the desired enzymes near the transporter. In this way, the cell can process the raw material as on a conveyor belt, without the competing enzymes having a chance to convert it.”
The study tested the conveyor belt theory by demonstrating improved production of xylose into ethanol and minimizing the production of unwanted xylitol.
“The underlying principle could be used to make any manner of product from sugars, such as biofuels, synthetic materials or pharmaceuticals. The concept has the potential to make biotechnological processes more ecologically and economically sustainable, since efficient sugar utilization is a fundamental requirement for this,” Oreb adds.