Kao Develops Fermentation Production Technology that Enables Production of Chemical Raw Materials from Biomass

 

Kao has developed a fermentation production technology that uses microorganisms to produce the aromatic compounds gallic acid and 4-amino-3-hydroxybenzoic acid from corn and sugarcane-derived glucose.

This technology enables the production of compounds (chemical raw materials) that are the basis of products from biomass, and is believed to contribute to the stable supply of earth-friendly products in the future. The results of this study were presented at the 2023 Annual Meeting of the Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology and Agrochemistry (March 14-17, 2023, Hiroshima Prefecture).

Currently, many chemical raw materials are manufactured by chemical synthesis from petroleum or extraction from plants, but fermentation production is attracting attention as a new manufacturing process. Fermentation production, which utilizes the properties of microorganisms to produce substances in the body to create specific ingredients, generally emits less CO2 than conventional manufacturing processes, and is considered a manufacturing method that can reduce environmental impact.

However, despite the high industrial value of aromatic compounds, which are one of the chemical raw materials, the number of steps in the metabolic pathway within microorganisms is complex, making it difficult to commercialize aromatic compounds in fermentation production. Examples are limited.

Therefore, this time, utilizing the knowledge of research on the production of enzymes for detergents by microorganisms, the aromatic compounds gallic acid and 4-amino-3-hydroxybenzoic acid (4,3-AHBA) were fermented and produced using coryneform bacteria. We examined the technology to

Gallic acid is one of the plant polyphenols that is extracted from the gall of a plant of the Anacardiaceae family, and is widely used as a raw material for semiconductors in electronic devices such as personal computers and smartphones, as well as rust preventives for boilers. there is Although it is an industrially important raw material, since it is derived from trees, the yield is easily affected by the weather, and the production area is limited.

The company focused on the technology of fermentative production of gallic acid from glucose and aimed to develop a production technology with a view to its practical application. This time, we succeeded in introducing multiple gallic acid production pathways into coryneform bacteria and suppressing the metabolic pathways that produce by-products. Using coryneform bacteria, we have established a technology for highly efficient fermentative production of gallic acid from glucose. The developed coryneform bacterium has a capacity to convert glucose to gallic acid that is about 1.8 times higher than the original coryneform bacterium, making it possible to reduce production costs.

By applying this technology, it is believed that it will be possible to build a new supply chain that can stably and inexpensively supply gallic acid.

Subsequently, biomass-derived plastics using renewable plant-based materials are becoming more popular with the aim of realizing a decarbonized society. In order to improve the functionality of derived plastics, we focused on polybenzoxazole, which has excellent heat resistance and strength among plastic materials, and attempted to produce 4,3-AHBA, the raw material of polybenzoxazole, from glucose.

Until now, no method for producing 4,3-AHBA from glucose had been established. Succeeded in constructing a biosynthetic pathway by introducing it. A new process was established to produce 4,3-AHBA from glucose.

This technology expands the options for raw materials that can be used in the production of biomass-derived plastics, and is believed to contribute to the spread of biomass-derived plastics. In the future, we will continue to consider using it as a new raw material for biomass-derived plastic materials.