FURI | Spring 2023

Creating an Enzyme Fusion to Improve Succinate Production

Engineering bacteria provides a sustainable route for the production of succinate, an important platform chemical. The E. coli strain KJ122 can produce up to 80 g/L succinate, but is potentially limited by the kinetics of the key enzyme, Pck, which carboxylates phosphoenolpyruvate using CO2 as a substrate. This project is exploring different strategies for linking Pck and carbonic anhydrase together to create a novel, multi-enzyme fusion. If the carbonic anhydrase can increase the local concentration of CO2 near Pck, succinate production rates may be increased. CO2 fixation and succinate production were characterized through cell growth in bottle-based fermentations.