A cell-free manufacturing technique using yeast could yield a cleaner, greener way of synthesizing chemicals.
New research finds that cell-free biosynthesis using Saccharomyces cerevisiae (brewer鈥檚 yeast) can produce 2,3-butanediol, glycerol, and itaconic acid 鈥� three chemicals with a variety of industrial uses 鈥� at rates up to 10 times faster than biosynthesis using whole cells. These rates are still low compared to typical petrochemical-based processes, but are a promising step toward a competitive industrial process, says Michael Jewett, a professor of chemical and biological engineering at Northwestern Univ.
Many efforts to sustainably produce chemicals involve engineering living cells to synthesize the desired product. But this can be a tug-of-war between nature and engineering. 鈥淐ells are greedy,鈥� Jewett says. 鈥淭hey want to grow, reproduce, and survive.鈥� Producing sustainable raw materials to make a carpet or a Coke bottle isn鈥檛 high on their agenda...
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