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Biological C1 Conversion

C1 molecules, that is, substances containing a single carbon and including CO₂, CO, CH₄, CH₃OH and CH₂O are ubiquitous and potential biological feedstocks for production of fuels and chemicals. C1 molecules could replace agriculturally-derived carbon sources commonly used in biotechnology today and their consumption is important for industrial decarbonisation. 

My interest in biological C1 metabolism began with research into postcombustion enzymatic CO₂ capture primarily utilising carbonic anhydrase, and later, with PhD projects in methane metabolism via soluble methane monooxygenases and methanol conversion via methanol dehydrogenase and engineering of carbon assimilation into yeast metabolic pathways. As the process of engineering whole cell microbes to utilise C1 molecules as feedstocks has proven to be complex and not yet efficient, we are switching tactics to design synthetic cells that encapsulate enzymatic cascades for efficient C1 utilisation. 

Biography

A/Prof Haritos is from the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Monash University where she now holds an adjunct position, having recently retired. A/Prof Haritos graduated with a PhD from RMIT University in 2000 where she explored the toxicological implications of genetic variation in human metabolism of antidepressant pharmaceuticals. She joined CSIRO in 1998 as a Research Scientist, initially researching human toxicology of volatile pesticides and then new biotechnological products and processes for the Australian agricultural and energy industries. On joining Monash University as a T&R academic in 2014, A/Prof Haritos has focussed on enzyme and whole cell biocatalysis research, and teaching in Biological Engineering.