Hybrid Yeast Helps Create Biorenewable Nylon

Feb-10-16 A biorenewable nylon made from yeast and sugar could open the doors to new compounds that can be created without using toxic or rare materials.

The nylon was created by a team from Iowa State University, who combined a genetically engineered yeast strain with an electrocatalyst to convert sugar into nylon. Whereas earlier attempts to produce biorenewable chemicals using biocatalysis and chemical catalysis have not been successful, the new approach took advantage of using hybrid fermentation and the electrocatalytic process, which bridged the gap between “biological conversion and chemical diversification.”

According to co-lead author Zengyi Shao, the process “opens the door to the production of a broad range of compounds not accessible from the petrochemical industry.” The hybrid conversion process also offers many advantages over traditional methods, in that it can be performed at room temperature, uses affordable and abundant elements, and the other necessary compounds for the reaction are produced from water.

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