Page 14 - Australian Pork Newspaper

Melbourne Salami Festa
PROF Arne Skerra of the Technical Uni- versity of Munich has succeeded for the first time in using gaseous CO2 as a basic materi- al for the production of a chemical mass prod- uct in a biotechnical reaction.
The product is methio- nine, which is used as an essential amino acid, particularly in animal feed, on a large scale.
This newly devel- oped enzymatic process could replace its current petrochemical produc- tion.
The results have now been published in the journal ‘Nature Cataly- sis’.
Industrial production of methionine from pet- rochemical source ma- terials is currently done via a six-step chemical process that requires highly toxic hydrogen cyanide, among other substrates.
In 2013, Evonik Indus- tries, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of methionine, invited uni- versity researchers to propose new processes for making the sub- stance safer to produce.
Methional, which occurs in nature as a degradation product of methionine, is formed as a facile intermediate during the conventional process.
“Based on the idea that methionine in micro-organisms is de- graded by enzymes to methional with the re- lease of CO2, we tried to reverse this process because every chemical reaction is in principle reversible, while often only with the extensive use of energy and pres- sure,” Prof Skerra said.
Skerra participated in the call for propos- als with this idea, and Evonik awarded the concept and supported the project.
Supported by postdoc- toral researcher Lukas Eisoldt, Skerra began to determine the param- eters for the manufac- turing process and for producing the necessary biocatalysts (enzymes).
The scientists con- ducted initial experi- ments and determined the CO2 pressure that would be needed to pro- duce methionine from methional in a biocata- lytic process.
Surprisingly, an un- expectedly high yield resulted even at a rela- tively low pressure – roughly corresponding to the pressure in a car tyre of about two bar.
Based on the achieve- ments after just one year, Evonik extended the funding, and now the team, reinforced by PhD student Julia Mar- tin, investigated the bio- chemical background of the reaction and op- timised the enzymes involved using protein engineering.
More efficient than photosynthesis
After several years of work, not only was it possible to improve the reaction on a labora- tory scale to a yield of
40 percent, but also to elucidate the theoretical background of the bio- chemical processes.
“Compared to the complex photosynthe- sis, in which nature also biocatalytically incorporates CO2 into biomolecules as a build- ing block, our process is highly elegant and sim- ple,” Prof Skerra said.
“Photosynthesis uses 14 enzymes and has a yield of only 20 per- cent, while our method requires just two en- zymes.”
In future, the basic principle of this novel biocatalytic reaction can serve as a model for the industrial production of other valuable amino acids or precursors for pharmaceuticals.
Meanwhile, Prof Sker- ra’s team will refine the process, which has been patented, using protein engineering so it will become suitable for large-scale applications.
This could be the first time there is a biotech- nological manufactur- ing process using gase- ous CO2 as an immedi- ate chemical precursor.
Up to now, attempts to recycle the greenhouse gas, which is a major contributor to climate change, have failed due to the extremely high energy required to do so.
THE Melbourne Sa- lami Festa will take place on October 13 and 14 at Welcome to Thornbury.
This well-known bar and food truck stop is now the event’s location.
Come and explore the
new Grand Salami Garage and enjoy stalls, demon- strations and live music.
Of course, the next champion will also be crowned.
Could that be you?
Entries for the home- made salami-making com-
petition open on August 1. This is your chance for your salami to be crowned king as makers from all over Australia battle it out
for the top prize.
To enter, you will need
to provide between 1kg and 1.5kg of salami
(weight after curing).
You will also need to be available to drop off your salamientryforjudgingat Welcome to Thornbury on
October 6.
The Salami Festa needs you
Volunteer registrations will open on August 6.
The Melbourne Salami Festa is a community event and without the sup- port and generosity of wonderful volunteers, the event would be very near- ly impossible to put on.
So once again the call goes out to all you won- derful folk to volunteer and help put on this great event.
Exclusive Salami Army pre-sale tickets will be on sale Monday, August 30, so pop that date in your diary.
Tickets will go on sale to the general public on September 1.
All the details will soon be live at melbournesala mifesta.com
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Page 14 – Australian Pork Newspaper, August 2018
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Greenhouse gas as a raw material for an important feed additive
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