skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Final Report - Systems biology of Rhodococcus opacus to enable production of fuels and chemicals from lignocellulos

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1483375· OSTI ID:1483375

We have developed Rhodococcus opacus PD630 (hereafter R. opacus) as a chassis for lignocellulose valorization and biofuel production. Specifically, we completed adaptive evolution of R. opacus to increase tolerance and growth on mixtures of model lignin breakdown products (LBPs) and isolated adapted strains that showed up to 1900% growth improvement and up to a 225% increase in lipid titer. We identified genomic, transcriptomic, and lipidomic changes in adapted mutants that may increase phenolic tolerance and identified phenolic transporters and degradation pathways. We developed genetic tools for gene expression, gene insertions, gene knockouts, and targeted gene repression. These tools were applied to characterize aromatic transporters and aromatic degradation pathways. In addition to model LBPs, we have optimized a feedstock-independent thermochemical lignin depolymerization process for subsequent degradation by R. opacus and have determined the preferred phenolic substrates for R. opacus consumption. Overall, this project has contributed to the goal of renewable biofuel and chemical production from lignocellulose by increasing the efficiency of model LBP degradation and lipid production; identifying preferential conditions for lignin depolymerization; characterizing preferred LBP substrates; identifying degradation pathways; and developing tools for further characterization and engineering of R. opacus.

Research Organization:
Washington Univ., St. Louis, MO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR)
DOE Contract Number:
SC0012705
OSTI ID:
1483375
Report Number(s):
DOE-WUSTL-12705
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English