TUMCS | Rafał Białek | 01.08.2023
Dr. Tao Zhou
Image: Jan Winter / TUM
The increasing level of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere presents a critical factor for climate change and action must be taken urgently to minimise its impact. Making use of CO2 as a carbon source in the chemical industry for its conversion into valuable chemicals is an advantageous strategy to reduce CO2 emissions and provide a sustainable and cheap source of raw materials to help combat raw material scarcity. Within this Marie Curie Postdoctoral fellowship project (TransCO2), my overarching aim is to apply quantitative analysis and rational assembly of enzymatic cascades to enable a breakthrough in bioelectrocatalytic-technology to transform carbon dioxide (CO2) directly into high value mevalonate at high isolated yields, using electricity as energy source. Interdisciplinary approaches, including enzyme production, multi-enzyme catalysis, electroanalytical methods and kinetic modelling, will be applied to achieve the objectives. TransCO2 creates a way to utilize CO2 as cheap, nontoxic, and naturally abundant carbon source instead of reagents derived from fossil-fuels. This will help decrease the dependence on fossil-fuels, which in return decreasing the emission of CO2. In summary, TransCO2 represents a double gain trial and is highly attractive from both ecological and economic viewpoints.