26 July 2018
DETAILS
Polyisoprene rubber polymerized using the new technology
Zeon Corporation (President: Kimiaki Tanaka),
in joint research with RIKEN
(a National Research and Development Agency)
and Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.,
has developed a new technology
for the efficient and stable production of
isoprene monomers (isoprene)
from biomass (biotic resources).
Isoprene is the raw material for polyisoprene rubber,
which is mainly used for automobile tires.
Industrial isoprene is currently being produced
as a byproduct of the naphtha pyrolysis.
Development of this new technology
will reduce future dependence on petroleum
and is expected to contribute to reducing carbon dioxide,
widely considered to be a cause of global warming.
In-cell (in vivo) synthesis of isoprene
Zeon has been engaged in joint research
with RIKEN and Yokohama Rubber since 2013,
and in 2015 discovered a new isoprene-synthesizing process
using computer-based in-silico metabolic design technology*.
Building on this discovery, the group developed
the world’s first technology to achieve
in-vivo creation of isoprene from a biomass (sugar)
that serves as the starting material.
The group has also succeeded in synthesizing polyisoprene rubber
through the polymerization of in-vivo generated isoprene.
The research took full advantage of the cell design
and plant science technologies of
the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS).
It is widely known that isoprene is produced from
mevalonic acid
(an intermediate substance formed from sugar)
through a five-stage reaction in the natural environment.
However, through the research a new artificial metabolic pathway
that reduces the process to two stages was discovered.
Also highly active enzymes
with phenomenal isoprene-producing capability were created.
Introducing the artificial pathway and enzymes into colon bacilli
gives the bacteria an isoprene-generating ability
that it lacks in nature, opening the way to
the efficient and stable artificial synthesis of isoprene.
The research team has also confirmed that this technology
can be applied to
butadiene-based synthetic rubber and other diene rubbers.
The Zeon Group will continue to engage in research
that transcends the boundaries of industry, government,
and academia to contribute to the sustainable development
of mankind and preservation of the global environment.
*A technology for designing new artificial metabolic reactions
on computers
For further information
Department of Corporate Communications
Tel: +81-3-3216-2747
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