Publications by authors named "Tae Uk Khang"

Pyrolysis, a thermal decomposition without oxygen, is a promising technology for transportable liquids from whole fractions of lignocellulosic biomass. However, due to the hydrophilic products of pyrolysis, the liquid oils have undesirable physicochemical characteristics, thus requiring an additional upgrading process. Biological upgrading methods could address the drawbacks of pyrolysis by utilizing various hydrophilic compounds as carbon sources under mild conditions with low carbon footprints.

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Here, we report an analysis method for determining PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoates) contents and their monomer composition in microbial cells based on pyrolysis gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). Various kinds of microbial cells accumulating different PHA contents and monomer compositions were prepared through the cultivation of Ralstonia eutropha and recombinant Escherichia coli. Py-GC/MS could analyse these samples in a short time without complicated pretreatment steps.

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Corynebacterium glutamicum was metabolically engineered for the production of glutaric acid, a C5 dicarboxylic acid that can be used as platform building block chemical for nylons and plasticizers. C. glutamicum gabT and gabD genes and Pseudomonas putida davT and davD genes encoding 5-aminovalerate transaminase and glutarate semialdehyde dehydrogenase, respectively, were examined in C.

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Background: Recent interest has been focused on the production of platform chemicals from renewable biomass due to increasing concerns on global warming and depletion of fossil fuel reserves. Microbial production of platform chemicals in biorefineries has been suggested to be a promising solution for these problems. Gamma-aminobutyrate (GABA), a versatile bulk chemical used in food and pharmaceutical industry, is also used as a key monomer for nylon 4.

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This study examined nine expired industrial Corynebacterium glutamicum strains with high lysine producing capability for enhanced production of 5-AVA. C. glutamicum KCTC 1857 exhibiting the highest lysine production was transformed with either original Pseudomonas putida davBA genes, encoding the 5-AVA biosynthesis pathway, or C.

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