S125: Production of 3-hydroxypropionic acid in Escherichia coli

Sustainability and eco-friendly benefits are driving forces behind the development of fuels and chemicals from biomass. Samsung has initiated a research program for the development and commercialization of materials from renewable feedstocks. A pilot project has started on the production of 3-hydroxypropionic acid in Escherichia coli. 3-HP has been identified as one of the top 12 platform chemicals that can be produced from renewable feedstocks. 3-HP can be further converted into products such as acrylic acid, acrylamide, 1,3-propanediol, and methyl acrylate. Several metabolic pathways are possible to biosynthesize 3-HP from glucose or glycerol. This presentation will review various metabolic pathways (and target genes) and challenges involved in high 3-HP production. We will present preliminary results of metabolic engineering of E. coli for 3-HP production and fermentation results under aerobic and anaerobic conditions.