Grayson Young
Chemical engineering
Hometown: Issaquah, Washington, United States
Graduation date: Spring 2028
Additional details: Honors student
FURI | Spring 2026
Engineering synergistic co-cultures of Clostridium autoethanogenum and Rhodospirillum rubrum for production of polyhydroxyalkanoates
This research project seeks to address the issue of low polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production by the bacterium R. rubrum when grown in monocultures, making it impractical to scale. PHB is a naturally-occurring biopolymer that is biodegradable and can be used as a component in bioplastics, thereby supporting sustainable materials. There is potential for PHB production by R. rubrum to be increased through co-culture with C. autoethanogenum, which produces and supplies acetate, a key PHB precursor, from CO2 and H2. This research aims to understand the viability of a co-culture to increase PHB production, thus supporting the use of environmentally friendly bioplastics.
Mentor: David Nielsen
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