Microbiological Production of 3-Hydroxypropionic Acid

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This invention describes genetically engineered cells (such as bacteria or yeast) that have been modified to efficiently produce 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP) from simple, renewable sources like carbohydrates or glycerol. The modifications increase the cells' abilities to convert metabolic intermediates (like pyruvate and aspartate) to beta-alanine and then to 3-HP, which can then be further processed to products such as acrylic acid and polyacrylates. These processes offer a biotechnological alternative to traditional petrochemical manufacturing by enabling the sustainable, biological production of important industrial chemicals.

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• Industrial-scale, renewable production of 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP) as a platform chemical.
• Green production of acrylic acid, which is used in superabsorbents (e.g., diapers, hygiene products), paints, and adhesives.
• Manufacture of polyacrylics and acrylic esters as plastics, coatings, and adhesives from renewable resources.
• Bioprocesses in the chemical industry aiming to reduce dependence on petrochemical feedstocks.
• Production of biodegradable plastics and materials via biobased 3-HP intermediates.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Enables sustainable and renewable production of valuable chemicals (3-HP, acrylic acid) from non-petrochemical sources like sugars or glycerol.
• Reduces reliance on oil-derived chemicals, supporting environmental goals and resource sustainability.
• Potentially lowers production costs by using readily available, inexpensive feedstocks (such as agricultural waste).
• Reduces toxic byproducts and energy requirements compared to conventional petrochemical processes.
• Facilitates environmentally friendly manufacturing processes and safer working environments.
• Promotes the development of biorefineries and the circular economy in the chemical sector.

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Patent Abstract

The invention relates to a cell which is genetically modified in relation to a wild type and exhibits at least one following properties: a) the activity of an enzyme E1, which is used for catalysing the conversion of pyruvate into oxalacetate or of an enzyme E1b for catalysing the conversion of phosphoenolpyruvate into oxalacetate, and which is greater than the wild type activity and b) the activity of an enzyme E2, which is used for catalysing the conversion of aspartate into beta-alanine and which is greater than the wild type activity, wherein the inventive cell, in addition to the a) and b) properties, is characterised in that it exhibits at least one following property: c) the genetically modified cell is capable to eject beta-alanine therefrom and d) the genetically modified cell is capable to convert the beta-alanine into the 3-hydrixypropionic acid. A method for producing a genetically modified cell, the genetically modified cells obtainable by said method, a method for producing the 3-hydrixypropionic acid, a method for producing an acrylic acid, a method for producing polyacrylates, a method for producing acrylic acid esters and the use of cells for producing the 3-hydrixypropionic acid are also disclosed.