Chemistry Program and Dean of the College Present
On the Biosynthesis and Applications of Unnatural Bacterial Polyesters
Thursday, April 5, 2018
Reem-Kayden Center Laszlo Z. Bito '60 Auditorium
2:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
2:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
Atahualpa Pinto
Utica College
Poly-[(R)-3-hydroxyalkanoate] biopolymers, or PHAs, are biocompatible and biodegradable polyesters that can be produced by diverse microbial strains. PHA polymers have found widespread uses in applications ranging from sustainable replacements of non-biodegradable bulk-commodity plastics to biomaterials. However, further expansion into other markets and industries has generally been limited by the inability to chemically modify these polymers. Recently, our lab engineered an E. coli strain able to produce PHA copolymers with controlled unit compositions from simple and accessible fatty acid feedstocks. We envisioned meaningfully broadening the application spectrum of these materials via production of chemically tractable PHA biopolymers containing “click”-ready chemical functionalities. With a myriad of applications in mind, in this study we demonstrate the synthesis and biopolymerization of a panel of ω-azido fatty acids and take the first exploratory steps toward demonstrating their conjugation via a classic strain-promoted azide–alkyne cycloaddition (SPAAC) reaction. The convenience of accessing these materials will open the door to new studies and applications for functionalized PHA polymers.Utica College
For more information, call 845-752-2355, or e-mail [email protected].
Time: 2:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
Location: Reem-Kayden Center Laszlo Z. Bito '60 Auditorium