Microbial production of chemical building blocks from lignin

Sammanfattning: Plastics, derived from fossil fuels, have raised considerable environmental concerns. This has prompted the search for sustainable and safer plastic precursors alternatives. One alternative explored in the present study is vanillin, a phenolic compound derived from lignin, an abundant and renewable natural polymer. Vanillin and its derivatives have shown promise as eco-friendly substitutes for conventional industrial chemicals. The present study focused on the microbial production of chemical building blocks from vanillyl amine and vanillic acid using recombinant yeast, with a specific focus on the evaluation of amide-forming enzymes. The study also involved the screening of various co-substrates to optimize the production of vanillyl amine and vanillic acid. Our findings revealed that the choice of co-substrate significantly influenced the production of vanilloids, with specific co-substrates favoring the production of specific vanilloids.