(29x) Transforming How the World Makes Chemicals:Sustainably Produced Bio-Based Chemicals that are Made to Scale TM

Biomanufacturing promises revolutionary and sustainable ways of producing materials that the world uses every day – and governments are finally taking notice. But traditional processes of engineering biology often come at a high cost and turn into long, complicated endeavors, and success has been too slow for a rapidly changing world that needs solutions now. By addressing the barriers that have challenged the industry for decades, the DMC process brings biomanufacturing into a new era, pioneering pathways needed for rapid commercialization, and in turn, sustainability that has an impact. DMC is the platform that is Made to Scale™.

DMC’s Dynamic Metabolic Control™ technology platform combines a standardized, two-stage fermentation process that decouples growth from production and dynamically employs gene silencing and targeted proteolysis to create a genetic network that is optimized for product formation. Traditional microbes used in fermentation processes are sensitive to a range of standard process conditions and commonly require numerous cycles of process development for every new strain and at every new scale. The DMC technology limits the ability of the microbe to respond to the environment, enabling a standard process that is independent of the specific product or scale. We are the first in the industry to demonstrate statistically predictive performance from high-throughput to bench scale for multiple products. In addition, we have shown predictability with multiple products at demonstration scale and even full commercial scale with our lead product, L-alanine. This enables unprecedented development speed and capital efficiency for our industry. Our technology is more efficient, resilient, and results in a lower overall cost. This lower cost of development means that sustainable bio-based chemicals can now compete with petroleum-based options. Local production in lieu of risky and environmentally costly imports helps to unlock a more predictable and sustainable future. DMC Biotechnologies has successfully developed a range of microbial strains to produce various high-value chemicals, including bio-based monomers, specialty chemicals, and pharmaceutical intermediates. Our bioprocesses have demonstrated impressive yields, selectivity, and scalability. Moreover, we have achieved significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and resource utilization compared to traditional chemical manufacturing processes.

Discussion Topics:

As a long-standing employee at DMC, I have gained first-hand expertise in numerous aspects of a biotechnology start-up company including fermentation science, process engineering and design, along with a familiarity of the bioprocess space in general. I am a technical expert in downstream processing, and I have hands on experience with designing, operating, and optimizing chemical purifications and process simulations.

My presentation will highlight the practical applications of our work and its potential to revolutionize the chemical industry, making it more environmentally friendly and economically viable. With industry professionals, I look forward to discussing the countless ways that DMC’s sustainable two-stage fermentation platform can be applied to produce products for varied industries, the challenges we encounter in this space, and how we overcome them. I can also provide experienced insight for chemical engineers who are preparing to join the workforce but aren’t sure what to expect, and give tips on how to choose a career path. Additionally, I can discuss our business development initiatives, including our strategies for forging strategic partnerships, attracting investment, and commercializing bioprocess technologies. I look forward to engaging in meaningful discussions and sharing the knowledge I've acquired during my time at DMC Biotechnologies.

Peer-Reviewed Publications:

Ye, Z., Li, S., Hennigan, J. N., Lebeau, J., Moreb, E. A., Wolf, J., & Lynch, M. D. (2020). Two-stage dynamic deregulation of metabolism improves process robustness & scalability in engineered E. coli. Metabolic Engineering, 68, 106–118. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.08.30.274290

Relevant Sources:

Allen, J., Andrew Soare, & Jennie Lynch. (2015, April). Synthetic Biology: Applications And lessons learned in the field of bio ... Lux Research. https://web.luxresearchinc.com/hs-fs/hub/86611/file-443855545-pdf/BBMC__...

Burg, J. M., Cooper, C. B., Ye, Z., Reed, B. R., Moreb, E. A., & Lynch, M. D. (2016). Large-scale bioprocess competitiveness: The potential of dynamic metabolic control in two-stage fermentations. Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering, 14, 121–136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coche.2016.09.008

C., S. (2017, November 8). Brand Perspectives on Biomaterials - Full Report. Sustainability Consult. https://issuu.com/sustainabilityconsult/docs/brand_20perspectives_20on_2...

DMC Biotechnologies. Dynamic Metabolic Control. (2023, September 11). https://dmcbio.com/

Li, S., Ye, Z., Lebeau, J., Moreb, E. A., & Lynch, M. D. (n.d.). Dynamic control over feedback regulation identifies pyruvate-ferredoxin oxidoreductase as a central metabolic enzyme in stationary phase E. coli. Https://Www.Biorxiv.Org/. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.07.26.219949

Li, S., Ye, Z., Moreb, E. A., Hennigan, J. N., Castellanos, D. B., Yang, T., & Lynch, M. D. (2021). Dynamic control over feedback regulatory mechanisms improves NADPH flux and xylitol biosynthesis in engineered E. coli. Metabolic Engineering, 64, 26–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymben.2021.01.005

Lynch, M. D. (2016). Into new territory: Improved microbial synthesis through engineering of the Essential Metabolic Network. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 38, 106–111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copbio.2016.01.009

Lynch, M. D. (2021). The bioprocess tea calculator: An online technoeconomic analysis tool to evaluate the commercial competitiveness of potential bioprocesses. Metabolic Engineering, 65, 42–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymben.2021.03.004

Mashayekhi, R. (2020, August 19). Global trade: It would cost $1 trillion to move global supply chains out of China. Fortune. https://fortune.com/2020/08/19/china-us-trade-global-supply-chain-decoup...

Moreb, E. A., Ye, Z., Efromson, J. P., Hennigan, J. N., Menacho-Melgar, R., & Lynch, M. D. (2020). Media robustness and scalability of phosphate regulated promoters useful for two-stage autoinduction in E.coli. ACS Synthetic Biology, 9(6), 1483–1486. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssynbio.0c00182

Shih, W. (2020, March 19). Is it time to rethink globalized supply chains?. MIT Sloan Management Review. https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/is-it-time-to-rethink-globalized-sup...

Ye, Z., Moreb, E. A., Li, S., Lebeau, J., Menacho-Melgar, R., Munson, M., & Lynch, M. D. (2020). escherichia coli CAS1/2 endonuclease complex modifies self-targeting CRISPR/Cascade Spacers reducing silencing guide stability. ACS Synthetic Biology, 10(1), 29–37. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssynbio.0c00398