FURI | Spring 2019

Bioproduction of Renewable Ethylene from an Engineered Cyanobacterium

Current ethylene production from fossil fuel is the largest CO₂-emitting process in the chemical industry. Bioproduction produces ethylene through consumption of CO₂. Advancements in bioproduction of ethylene is of great importance as an environmentally friendly alternative and to supplement conventional ethylene production as demand increases. The aim of this research was to quantify ethylene production of engineered Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, further referred to as Synechocystis. Ethylene Forming Enzyme was inserted into Synechocystis and confirmed through colony PCR and gel electrophoresis analysis. Overnight cultures were grown as a scale up procedure and to monitor ethylene production.