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Emissions from industrial operations such as heat and power plants, natural gas production and chemical plants account for a significant portion of CO2 emissions in British Columbia. They also represent an untapped resource that can be monetized using effective carbon conversion platforms. New technology offers the possibility of converting waste CO2 into new products that can be sold, often replacing chemicals made from petroleum. 

Professor Vikramaditya Yadav’s laboratory at the University of British Columbia demonstrated genetically engineered enzymes can be used to generate valuable specialty products for industry consumers. The technology exploited the use of polyketide synthases (PKSs) which are multifunctional enzymes that can synthesize natural products. These were used as the foundations for creating biosynthetic platforms called ketobricks. 

Professor Yadav and his team individually engineered a set of PKSs that can be pieced together to form ketobricks, which created the downstream CO2 products of interest. 

Methods were developed to connect these ketobricks together by genetically altering their binding sites to generate ‘ketodiversity’. This demonstrates the potential for a variety of chemical products to be produced which could have applications in making polymers and pharmaceuticals. 

The research shows promise in the commercialization of CO2 byproducts. Further work is needed to express this platform in a photosynthetic host which can directly harness waste CO2 from the atmosphere.  

The research carried out provides the building blocks for the future development of this platform. Further research in this area and commitment from industry to implement these upcoming novel technologies could lead to the establishment of a unique, BC-based initiative that could achieve the province’s twin goals of decarbonization and economic growth.