Objective
Natural Rubber is a very important and widely used industrial raw material, which cannot be replaced by other equivalents because of its unique properties (e.g. durability and insulation). Synthetic rubber produced by petrochemicals, is not only detrimental to the environment, but also cannot replace natural rubber due to its lower quality. Therefore, for many industrial applications (e.g. in car tires), humankind still heavily relies on rubber extracted from the rubber tree, Hevea brasiliensis. However, the demand of natural rubber is continuously increasing due to the fast pace of motorization in Asian countries, like China or India, while production is sensitive to disease outbreaks or weather conditions. For these reasons, to become self-sufficient in natural rubber is within the European strategic priorities. Thus, because both natural and synthetic rubber production is no longer sustainable, there is an urgent need to establish environmentally friendly methods for the synthesis of natural rubber, in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 9, 11, 12, 13 and 15). To meet this demand, I will apply an interdisciplinary approach to develop a yeast-based cell factory to produce high-quality natural rubber from cheap and readily renewable materials like sugar. My research expertise in molecular biology, polymer bioproduction, and biochemistry, make me the ideal candidate to implement this project. Combining my current knowledge, with the systematic education on metabolic engineering and pathway elucidation that will be provided by the host lab, I will build a unique profile as an expert in polymer bioproduction using microbial hosts. GreenRubber will help me develop and establish an independent international career on harnessing industrial microorganisms (e.g. yeast) to bioproduce polymers for high-end applications such as medical consumables.
Fields of science
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistry
- engineering and technologyindustrial biotechnologymetabolic engineering
- natural scienceschemical sciencespolymer sciences
- social scienceseconomics and businesseconomicssustainable economy
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiology
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmolecular biology
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-AG-UN - HORIZON Unit GrantCoordinator
1165 Kobenhavn
Denmark
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