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Ambrose-Dempster E, Leipold L, Dobrijevic D, Bawn M, Carter EM, Stojanovski G, Sheppard TD, Jeffries JWE, Ward JM, Hailes HC. Mechanoenzymatic reactions for the hydrolysis of PET †. RSC Adv 2023; 13:9954-9962. [PMID: 37006375 PMCID: PMC10050947 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra01708g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in the enzymatic degradation of poly(ethylene terphthalate) (PET) have led to a number of PET hydrolytic enzymes and mutants being developed. With the amount of PET building up in the natural world, there is a pressing need to develop scalable methods of breaking down the polymer into its monomers for recycling or other uses. Mechanoenzymatic reactions have gained traction recently as a green and efficient alternative to traditional biocatalytic reactions. For the first time we report increased yields of PET degradation by whole cell PETase enzymes by up to 27-fold by utilising ball milling cycles of reactive aging, when compared with typical solution-based reactions. This methodology leads to up to a 2600-fold decrease in the solvent required when compared with other leading degradation reactions in the field and a 30-fold decrease in comparison to reported industrial scale PET hydrolysis reactions. Mechanoenzymatic reactions are described for the degradation of different PET materials using whole cell PETases.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Leona Leipold
- Department of Chemistry, University College London20 Gordon StreetLondonWC1H 0AJUK
| | - Dragana Dobrijevic
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College LondonBernard Katz Building, Gower StreetLondonWC1E 6BTUK
| | - Maria Bawn
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College LondonBernard Katz Building, Gower StreetLondonWC1E 6BTUK
| | - Eve M. Carter
- Department of Chemistry, University College London20 Gordon StreetLondonWC1H 0AJUK
| | - Gorjan Stojanovski
- Department of Chemistry, University College London20 Gordon StreetLondonWC1H 0AJUK
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College LondonBernard Katz Building, Gower StreetLondonWC1E 6BTUK
| | - Tom D. Sheppard
- Department of Chemistry, University College London20 Gordon StreetLondonWC1H 0AJUK
| | - Jack W. E. Jeffries
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College LondonBernard Katz Building, Gower StreetLondonWC1E 6BTUK
| | - John M. Ward
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College LondonBernard Katz Building, Gower StreetLondonWC1E 6BTUK
| | - Helen C. Hailes
- Department of Chemistry, University College London20 Gordon StreetLondonWC1H 0AJUK
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Allison AL, Ambrose-Dempster E, Bawn M, Arredondo MC, Chau C, Chandler K, Dobrijevic D, Aparasi TD, Hailes HC, Lettieri P, Liu C, Medda F, Michie S, Miodownik M, Munro B, Purkiss D, Ward JM. The impact and effectiveness of the general public wearing masks to reduce the spread of pandemics in the UK: a multidisciplinary comparison of single-use masks versus reusable face masks. UCL Open Environ 2021; 3:e022. [PMID: 37228803 PMCID: PMC10208332 DOI: 10.14324/111.444/ucloe.000022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
During the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the UK government mandated the use of face masks in various public settings and recommended the use of reusable masks to combat shortages of medically graded single-use masks in healthcare. To assist decision-making on the choice of masks for future pandemics, where shortages may not be a contributing factor, the University College London (UCL) Plastic Waste Innovation Hub has carried out a multidisciplinary comparison between single-use and reusable masks based on their anatomy, standalone effectiveness, behavioural considerations, environmental impact and costs. Although current single-use masks have a higher standalone effectiveness against bacteria and viruses, studies show that reusable masks have adequate performance in slowing infection rates of respiratory viruses. Material flow analysis (MFA), life cycle assessment (LCA) and cost comparison show that reusable masks have a lower environmental and economic impact than single-use masks. If every person in the UK uses one single-use mask each day for a year, it will create a total of 124,000 tonnes of waste, 66,000 tonnes of which would be unrecyclable contaminated plastic waste (the masks), with the rest being the recyclable packaging typically used for transportation and distribution of masks. Using reusable masks creates >85% less waste, generates 3.5 times lower impact on climate change and incurs 3.7 times lower costs. Further behavioural research is necessary to understand the extent and current practices of mask use; and how these practices affect mask effectiveness in reducing infection rates. Wearing single-use masks may be preferred over reusable masks due to perceptions of increased hygiene and convenience. Understanding behaviour towards the regular machine-washing of reusable masks for their effective reuse is key to maximise their public health benefits and minimise environmental and economic costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayşe Lisa Allison
- UCL Plastic Waste Innovation Hub, University College London, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4TJ, UK
| | - Esther Ambrose-Dempster
- UCL Plastic Waste Innovation Hub, University College London, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4TJ, UK
| | - Maria Bawn
- UCL Plastic Waste Innovation Hub, University College London, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4TJ, UK
| | - Miguel Casas Arredondo
- UCL Plastic Waste Innovation Hub, University College London, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4TJ, UK
| | - Charnett Chau
- UCL Plastic Waste Innovation Hub, University College London, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4TJ, UK
| | - Kimberley Chandler
- UCL Plastic Waste Innovation Hub, University College London, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4TJ, UK
| | - Dragana Dobrijevic
- UCL Plastic Waste Innovation Hub, University College London, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4TJ, UK
| | - Teresa Domenech Aparasi
- UCL Plastic Waste Innovation Hub, University College London, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4TJ, UK
| | - Helen C. Hailes
- UCL Plastic Waste Innovation Hub, University College London, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4TJ, UK
| | - Paola Lettieri
- UCL Plastic Waste Innovation Hub, University College London, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4TJ, UK
| | - Chao Liu
- UCL Plastic Waste Innovation Hub, University College London, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4TJ, UK
| | - Francesca Medda
- UCL Plastic Waste Innovation Hub, University College London, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4TJ, UK
| | - Susan Michie
- UCL Plastic Waste Innovation Hub, University College London, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4TJ, UK
| | - Mark Miodownik
- UCL Plastic Waste Innovation Hub, University College London, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4TJ, UK
| | - Beth Munro
- UCL Plastic Waste Innovation Hub, University College London, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4TJ, UK
| | - Danielle Purkiss
- UCL Plastic Waste Innovation Hub, University College London, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4TJ, UK
| | - John M. Ward
- UCL Plastic Waste Innovation Hub, University College London, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4TJ, UK
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Wang Y, Tappertzhofen N, Méndez‐Sánchez D, Bawn M, Lyu B, Ward JM, Hailes HC. Design and Use of de novo Cascades for the Biosynthesis of New Benzylisoquinoline Alkaloids. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201902761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Wang
- Department of ChemistryUniversity College London 20 Gordon Street London WC1H 0AJ UK
| | - Nadine Tappertzhofen
- Department of ChemistryUniversity College London 20 Gordon Street London WC1H 0AJ UK
| | - Daniel Méndez‐Sánchez
- Department of ChemistryUniversity College London 20 Gordon Street London WC1H 0AJ UK
| | - Maria Bawn
- Department of Biochemical EngineeringUniversity College London London WC1E 6BT UK
| | - Boyu Lyu
- Department of Biochemical EngineeringUniversity College London London WC1E 6BT UK
| | - John M. Ward
- Department of Biochemical EngineeringUniversity College London London WC1E 6BT UK
| | - Helen C. Hailes
- Department of ChemistryUniversity College London 20 Gordon Street London WC1H 0AJ UK
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Wang Y, Tappertzhofen N, Méndez-Sánchez D, Bawn M, Lyu B, Ward JM, Hailes HC. Design and Use of de novo Cascades for the Biosynthesis of New Benzylisoquinoline Alkaloids. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019; 58:10120-10125. [PMID: 31100182 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201902761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Revised: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs) are an important group of secondary metabolites from higher plants and have been reported to show significant biological activities. The production of BIAs through synthetic biology approaches provides a higher-yielding strategy than traditional synthetic methods or isolation from plant material. However, the reconstruction of BIA pathways in microorganisms by combining heterologous enzymes can also give access to BIAs through cascade reactions. Most importantly, non-natural BIAs can be generated through such artificial pathways. In the current study, we describe the use of tyrosinases and decarboxylases and combine these with a transaminase enzyme and norcoclaurine synthase for the efficient synthesis of several BIAs, including six non-natural alkaloids, in cascades from l-tyrosine and analogues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Wang
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, UK
| | - Nadine Tappertzhofen
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, UK
| | - Daniel Méndez-Sánchez
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, UK
| | - Maria Bawn
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Boyu Lyu
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - John M Ward
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Helen C Hailes
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, UK
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Leipold L, Dobrijevic D, Jeffries JWE, Bawn M, Moody TS, Ward JM, Hailes HC. The identification and use of robust transaminases from a domestic drain metagenome. Green Chem 2019; 21:75-86. [PMID: 30930686 PMCID: PMC6394892 DOI: 10.1039/c8gc02986e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Transaminases remain one of the most promising biocatalysts for use in chiral amine synthesis, however their industrial implementation has been hampered by their general instability towards, for example, high amine donor concentrations and organic solvent content. Herein we describe the identification, cloning and screening of 29 novel transaminases from a household drain metagenome. The most promising enzymes were fully characterised and the effects of pH, temperature, amine donor concentration and co-solvent determined. Several enzymes demonstrated good substrate tolerance as well as an unprecedented robustness for a wild-type transaminase. One enzyme in particular readily accepted IPA as an amine donor giving the same conversion with 2-50 equivalents, as well as being tolerant to a number of co-solvents, and operational in up to 50% DMSO - a characteristic as yet unobserved in a wild-type transaminase. This work highlights the value of using metagenomics for biocatalyst discovery from niche environments, and here has led to the identification of one of the most robust native transaminases described to date, with respect to IPA and DMSO tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leona Leipold
- Department of Chemistry , University College London , 20 Gordon Street , London WC1H 0AJ , UK .
| | - Dragana Dobrijevic
- The Advanced Centre for Biochemical Engineering , Department of Biochemical Engineering , University College London , Bernard Katz Building , Gower Street , London WC1E 6BT , UK .
| | - Jack W E Jeffries
- The Advanced Centre for Biochemical Engineering , Department of Biochemical Engineering , University College London , Bernard Katz Building , Gower Street , London WC1E 6BT , UK .
| | - Maria Bawn
- The Advanced Centre for Biochemical Engineering , Department of Biochemical Engineering , University College London , Bernard Katz Building , Gower Street , London WC1E 6BT , UK .
| | - Thomas S Moody
- Department of Biocatalysis and Isotope Chemistry , Almac , 20 Seagoe Industrial Estate , Craigavon , Northern Ireland , UK
| | - John M Ward
- The Advanced Centre for Biochemical Engineering , Department of Biochemical Engineering , University College London , Bernard Katz Building , Gower Street , London WC1E 6BT , UK .
| | - Helen C Hailes
- Department of Chemistry , University College London , 20 Gordon Street , London WC1H 0AJ , UK .
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Bawn M, Subrizi F, Lye GJ, Sheppard TD, Hailes HC, Ward JM. Data on a thermostable enzymatic one-pot reaction for the production of a high-value compound from l-arabinose. Data Brief 2018; 19:1341-1354. [PMID: 30229010 PMCID: PMC6140825 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2018.05.140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Accepted: 05/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The dataset presented in this article is related to the research article entitled "One-pot, two-step transaminase and transketolase synthesis of l-gluco-heptulose from l-arabinose" (Bawn et al., 2018 in press) [1]. This article presents data on initial experiments that were carried out to investigate new thermostable transketolase (TK) activities with l-arabinose. Transaminase (TAm) sequences from an in-house library of thermophilic strains were analyzed to compare homologies to characterized TAms with desired activity. DNA and amino acid sequences are presented for all the enzymes investigated. Calibration curves for products of the TK and TAm reactions are also presented along with chromatographic analysis of the various one-pot reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Bawn
- The Advanced Centre for Biochemical Engineering, Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, Bernard Katz Building, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Fabiana Subrizi
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, UK
| | - Gary J. Lye
- The Advanced Centre for Biochemical Engineering, Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, Bernard Katz Building, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Tom D. Sheppard
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, UK
| | - Helen C. Hailes
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, UK
| | - John M. Ward
- The Advanced Centre for Biochemical Engineering, Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, Bernard Katz Building, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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Cárdenas-Fernández M, Bawn M, Hamley-Bennett C, Bharat PKV, Subrizi F, Suhaili N, Ward DP, Bourdin S, Dalby PA, Hailes HC, Hewitson P, Ignatova S, Kontoravdi C, Leak DJ, Shah N, Sheppard TD, Ward JM, Lye GJ. An integrated biorefinery concept for conversion of sugar beet pulp into value-added chemicals and pharmaceutical intermediates. Faraday Discuss 2017; 202:415-431. [DOI: 10.1039/c7fd00094d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Over 8 million tonnes of sugar beet are grown annually in the UK. Sugar beet pulp (SBP) is the main by-product of sugar beet processing which is currently dried and sold as a low value animal feed. SBP is a rich source of carbohydrates, mainly in the form of cellulose and pectin, including d-glucose (Glu), l-arabinose (Ara) and d-galacturonic acid (GalAc). This work describes the technical feasibility of an integrated biorefinery concept for the fractionation of SBP and conversion of these monosaccharides into value-added products. SBP fractionation is initially carried out by steam explosion under mild conditions to yield soluble pectin and insoluble cellulose fractions. The cellulose is readily hydrolysed by cellulases to release Glu that can then be fermented by a commercial yeast strain to produce bioethanol at a high yield. The pectin fraction can be either fully hydrolysed, using physico-chemical methods, or selectively hydrolysed, using cloned arabinases and galacturonases, to yield Ara-rich and GalAc-rich streams. These monomers can be separated using either Centrifugal Partition Chromatography (CPC) or ultrafiltration into streams suitable for subsequent enzymatic upgrading. Building on our previous experience with transketolase (TK) and transaminase (TAm) enzymes, the conversion of Ara and GalAc into higher value products was explored. In particular the conversion of Ara into l-gluco-heptulose (GluHep), that has potential therapeutic applications in hypoglycaemia and cancer, using a mutant TK is described. Preliminary studies with TAm also suggest GluHep can be selectively aminated to the corresponding chiral aminopolyol. The current work is addressing the upgrading of the remaining SBP monomer, GalAc, and the modelling of the biorefinery concept to enable economic and Life Cycle Analysis (LCA).
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