This technology is a composition and method for promoting the production of 1,2-propanediol, utilizing recombinant Methylobacterium extorquens that uses methanol as a carbon source, combined with two types of media with different production-promoting components. It is a fermentation-based production system designed to operate by separating the cell growth phase from the target substance production phase.
Traditionally, 1,2-propanediol is produced through petrochemical processes involving the oxidation of propylene oxide, which requires high-temperature and high-pressure equipment and generates toxic intermediates and byproducts. Even after bio-based processes were commercialized, they remained dependent on grain feedstocks like corn or soybeans, competing with food resources, and still required high-temperature and high-pressure conditions with metal catalysts. Existing research using microorganisms has been limited by reliance on expensive substrates like rhamnose or fucose, hindering industrial scalability.
This technology enables the rapid, large-scale production of 1,2-propanediol through microbial conversion at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, using inexpensive and abundant methanol as a raw material. It enhances conversion efficiency through engineered strains with optimized production pathways and a two-stage media design. Applicable to industries consuming 1,2-propanediol—such as antifreeze, unsaturated polyester resins, detergents, and moisturizing agents for pharmaceuticals, food, and cosmetics—it serves as a foundation for biorefinery businesses that convert low-cost methanol into high-value chemical raw materials.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT's C1 Gas Conversion Technology common research project.
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