Team:Tongji China/Description
Optimization Of Environmentally Friendly Indigo Dye Production Method By Using Genetically Modified Bacteria
Project Inspiration and Description
Project Inspiration
The representative blue of denim fabrics usually derives from indigo, and the high demand for such dyes has led to the production of indigo by chemical synthesis on an industrial scale. A variety of toxic chemicals are used in this process, and the degree of environmental pollution is particularly severe. Inadvertent use may also cause serious safety accidents.
Project Description
Foundation
The team at the University of California, Berkeley, has tried to use genetically engineered bacteria to produce a related compound: indoxyl. Indoxyl itself is easily oxidized, and its stability can be enhanced by glycosylation. When it is to be dyed, it can be deglycosylated to obtain indoxyl which can spontaneously oxidize to form indigo.
However, this pathway is not perfect. Carbon source without glucose must be used in the production process. Meanwhile, it faces various problems such as low product concentration, which leads to a high cost and make it difficult to be applied in actual production.
Our Goals
This year, we will work on lowering the cost of this pathway.
To promote the practical application of this method, we plan to remove the inhibition coming from glucose to the circuit based on team Berkeley 2013 to make the use of low-cost carbon sources possible and try to find a cost-effective indole donor and with the research of related industries, designing a accessible environmentally friendly indigo dye production system with application value.
Besides, we plan to characterize the influence of upregulating NADPH level of chassis, which we believe it will higher the efficiency of indican producing.