Microbial Biocatalyst Platform for Scalable Biomanufacturing

Fundamental biomanufacturing challenges—including low conversion yields and poor scalability—stem from conflicting objectives between cellular growth and engineered biosynthesis. The tight integration of carbon metabolism, energy metabolism, and biosynthetic pathways intensifies this competition.

Our group addresses these challenges through:

1. Temporal decoupling: Using dynamic gene expression to separate growth and production phases
2. Spatial decoupling: Compartmentalizing orthogonal pathways to isolate biosynthesis from host metabolism
3. Hybrid catalysis: Interfacing sustainable electro- and thermocatalysis with bioconversion, harnessing carbon-free electricity to power biosynthetic reactions

These strategies aim to develop stable and scalable microbial biocatalysts and bioprocesses that achieve carbon- and energy-efficient bioconversion of waste molecules into valuable products, advancing sustainable biomanufacturing technologies.