A Sustainable Alternative Route to Produce Methyl Methacrylate

Brief Description

A sustainable alternative route to produce Methyl methacrylate (MMA) in an engineered yeast strain.

Background

Methyl methacrylate (MMA) is a critical raw material in the production of acrylic polymers. It is traditionally produced from non-sustainable, hazardous raw materials, such as acetone and hydrogen cyanide using acetone cyanohydrin (ACH). An alternative production route for MMA that is “green” and sustainable would reduce hazardous waste, which has a positive impact on the environment and addresses its traditional production from petroleum.

Description

Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara have developed a sustainable alternative route to produce Methyl methacrylate (MMA). By optimizing and engineering yeast strains through metabolic engineering, MAA (methacrylic acid)-CoA is produced directly from glucose at titers approaching 5g/L. This approach allows sustainable raw materials (derived from sugar) to be used as the primary feedstock for MMA production.

Advantages

• Increased sustainability
• Reduced waste
• Production from glucose at titers approaching 5g/L
• Vastly improved yields

Applications

• Acrylic polymers
• Production of MMA

Patent Status