生物合成 “檀香醇” 在津突破

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the innovative approach taken by the Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology to address the scarcity of sandalwood resources through synthetic biology techniques, specifically the development of a yeast cell factory for efficient production of sandalwood alcohol [1][2]. Group 1: Sandalwood Alcohol Production - Sandalwood alcohol, derived from sandalwood heartwood, is highly valued in various industries, but its natural resource is scarce and expensive, priced at approximately $2500 per kilogram [1]. - The research team successfully enhanced the total yield of sandalwood alcohol and sandalwood olefin by 5.1 times, achieving a concentration of 0.9 g/L in initial experiments [2]. - The conversion rate from sandalwood olefin to sandalwood alcohol was initially 31.0%, which improved to 60.6% through innovative engineering of the P450 enzyme [2]. Group 2: Technological Innovations - The team utilized a targeted signal peptide to localize key enzymes within peroxisomes, overcoming initial challenges related to enzyme integration [2]. - By truncating the transmembrane domain of the P450 enzyme and fusing it with a membrane anchoring unit, the team achieved precise localization on the peroxisome membrane, significantly improving conversion rates [2]. - The final production in a 5-liter fermentation tank reached a record yield of 10.4 g/L, marking a significant advancement in the sustainable production of sandalwood oil [2]. Group 3: Research Support and Future Directions - The research received funding from several national projects, including the National Key R&D Program and the National Natural Science Foundation [3]. - The results have been published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry and multiple patents have been applied for [3]. - The Tianjin Port Free Trade Zone is actively supporting the development of the bio-manufacturing industry, aiming to transform innovative research outcomes into practical applications [3].