Sunday, May 4, 2008
4-45

Model Simulation of In vitro Synthetic Enzymatic Pathway for Novel Hydrogen Production with Its Predictions

Xinhao Ye, Biological Systems Engineering Department, Virginia Tech University, Latham Hall 411, Blacksburg, VA 24061 and Y.-H. Percival Zhang, Biological Systems Engineering Department, Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS), Virginia Tech University, 210-A Seitz Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061.

Cell-free synthetic enzymatic pathway engineering can be regarded as in vitro metabolic engineering. We have designed a synthetic enzymatic pathway consisting of 13 enzymes and one coenzyme for producing high yield hydrogen from starch and water as C6H10O5 (aq) + 7 H2O (l) à 12 H2 (g) + 6 CO2 (g).  We have developed a mathematical kinetic model that simulates the whole process. With help of the model, we can not only identify the rate-limiting steps for the whole process but also predict what key enzyme properties need improved for accelerating overall reaction rates and the potential maximum reaction rates through process, substrate and enzyme optimization.


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