Adipic acid is one of the most important small molecules in the modern chemical industry. However, the damaging environmental impact of the current industrial synthesis of adipic acid has necessitated the development of greener, biobased approaches to its manufacture. Herein we report the first one-pot synthesis of adipic acid from guaiacol, a lignin-derived feedstock, using genetically engineered whole-cells of Escherichia coli. The reaction is mild, efficient, requires no additional additives or reagents, and produces no byproducts. This study demonstrates how modern synthetic biology can be used to valorize abundant feedstocks into industrially relevant small molecules in living cells.

中文翻译：

---

在大肠杆菌中从愈创木酚中一锅法合成己二酸。

己二酸是现代化学工业中最重要的小分子之一。然而，当前的己二酸工业合成对环境的破坏性影响使得开发更环保的生物基制造方法成为必要。在这里，我们报告了第一个使用基因工程大肠杆菌全细胞从愈创木酚（一种木质素衍生原料）单锅合成己二酸的方法。该反应温和、高效，不需要额外的添加剂或试剂，并且不产生副产物。这项研究展示了如何使用现代合成生物学将丰富的原料转化为活细胞中与工业相关的小分子。