Novel NMR approaches for detecting methane/enzyme interactions and biochemical transformations in vivo and in vitro

Identifying alternative transportation fuels and reducing atmospheric greenhouse gasses are critical global challenges and central aspects of DOE missions. Methane is an abundant energy source in the US, but faces logistical barriers as a transportation fuel because it is not a liquid. As part of a DOE funded program, we are exploiting the energetic advantages of enzyme-catalyzed chemistry by developing novel enzymes to transform methane into alternative liquid fuels and carbon dioxide into useful and/or stable product molecules. These enzymes will be integrated into redesigned metabolic pathways in platform microbes as part of the overall goal to produce biofuels and capture carbon dioxide. Here we propose to leverage advances in NMR technologies and foundational scientific knowledge to develop practical approaches to detect and quantify the binding and chemical transformation of methane and carbon dioxide by pure enzymes and microbial cells. We expect that the capabilities developed within this project will have broad application within the scientific community focused on transforming atmospheric and fossil fuel gasses.