Our research bridges biotechnology and sustainable catalysis, harnessing enzymes that demonstrate versatile catalytic capabilities under ambient conditions without requiring rare metals or toxic solvents. We focus particularly on enzymes catalyzing carbon-carbon coupling reactions to construct synthetic metabolic pathways that enable carbon and energy-efficient transformation of simple, low-value compounds such as one-carbon (C1) and two-carbon (C2) substrates into complex, value-added products. Our approach encompasses: 1) enzyme mining and engineering to discover new-to-nature pathways for C1 and C2 utilization, and 2) identification and engineering of microbial hosts to create effective biocatalysts that facilitate carbon and energy-efficient biosynthesis. We aim to expand biomanufacturing capabilities beyond low-capacity specialty chemicals and pharmaceuticals by utilizing carbon-neutral, cost-efficient feedstocks while making bioconversion more efficient, productive, and scalable.
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