Vibrio Mutants that Convert Chitin Containing Waste Products to N-Acetylglucosamine

Unmet Need
About 10¹¹ metric tons of chitin are produced annually in the ocean waters, and chitin is one of the most abundant organic substances in nature. It is a polymer composed of Nacetylglueosamine (GlcNAc) and glucosamine (GIcN) residues. These substances are considered to be valuable as supplements in the treatment of connective tissue diseases such as arthritis. The traditional chemical isolation is expensive and is a high energy-consuming chemical procedure presenting ecological problems associated with the disposal of large volumes of waste products. A new method of fermentation that could convert chitin into GlcNAc or GlcN on an industrial scale would facilitate the preparation of medicines and would also provide an alternative bioavailable source of sugars. Additionally, it would be valuable if these sugars could be converted to ethanol.

Technology Overview
JHU researchers have engineered a Vibrio mutant that can live on chitin-containing waste products such as lobster, crab, shrimp, etc., while being unable to consume GlcNAc and GlcN and its metabolic precursors. Seafood or other chitin containing waste materials can thus be utilized to provide products that can be of commercial interest as supplements (GlcNAc, GlcN) and as sources of biofuels (metabolic precursors).

Stage of Development
Researchers were able to develop an inexpensive and environmentally friendly method to create GlcNAc, GlcN and biofuel products.

 

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