Sustainable production of value-added compounds derived from the glyoxylic acid pathway by Pseudomonas spp. in bioelectrochemical systems

• Grant number: 24/16367-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: January 01, 2025
• End date: July 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: María Eugenia Guazzaroni
• Grantee: Marina Priolo Grejo
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/01748-5 - Discovery and development of new non-model bacterial chassis for biotechnological applications, AP.TEM

Abstract

The project aims to explore the potential of wild strains of Pseudomonas spp. isolated fromsoils by the MetaGenLab laboratory to produce high value-added compounds, such asglycolic acid (GA), using bioelectrochemical systems. GA is a compound of great industrialimportance due to its exfoliating and cell renewal properties, widely used in cosmetics andskin care products. In addition, AG is used in the pharmaceutical industry as a vehicle foractive ingredients and in the cleaning industry to remove stains and mineral deposits,highlighting its versatility in different sectors. Although renewable raw materials are stillunderused in industrial processes to obtain chemical derivatives, due to the limiteddevelopment and low competitiveness of renewable technologies, the project proposes aninnovative approach. Using isolates of the Pseudomonas spp. genus identified byMetaGenLab, fermentation and electrofermentation trials will be carried out on conventionalsubstrate, such as acetate, and ethylene glycol as an alternative substrate. The latter is widelyfound in plastic waste, as it is one of its main constituents. The research aims to obtain AGand its intermediates through production in fermentative and bioelectrochemical systems,seeking to use a renewable microbial platform as an alternative to traditional processes. Inthis way, the study will address challenges in improving the bioelectrochemical system andunderstanding the molecular metabolic mechanisms involved in the production of variouscompounds through the glyoxylate cycle, contributing to advances in the production ofsustainable biotechnological compounds.