Researchers at South Korea’s Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) have developed a microbial strain that grows 68% faster than its natural counterpart in high-concentration methanol, opening a more viable path to bio-based production of plastics and organic acids.
The work, published in the Journal of Biological Engineering in December, was led by Professor Dong-Hyeok Kim of UNIST’s Department of Energy and Chemical Engineering.
The research targets C1 biorefineries, which use microbes to convert single-carbon compounds into materials traditionally derived from petrochemicals. Methanol is an attractive feedstock for this process. It is cheap, easy to store and transport. The catch is that it is toxic to most microbial cells, stunting growth at concentrations above 1%.
To overcome this, the team used adaptive laboratory evolution. They cultured microbes in progressively stronger methanol solutions, starting at 0.5% and stepping up in increments of 0.25%. After roughly 800 generations and four months of cultivation, they had a strain capable of thriving at 2.5% methanol concentration.
Genetic analysis identified two key mutations driving the tolerance. One suppresses the buildup of a toxic methanol byproduct. The other improves how cells manage energy under stress.
The practical payoff is significant. Rather than repeating lengthy evolution experiments, researchers can now use gene editing tools to engineer tolerant strains quickly and at scale. “This will help lower process costs and increase production yields in the manufacturing of bioplastics or organic acids,” said Professor Kim.
Author Kyumin Lee added that the genetic findings effectively serve as a blueprint, making future strain development faster and more predictable.
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