Transforming Biorefinery Waste Streams into Phosphorus Resources through Synthetic Biology-Enabled Biocatalysis

Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for global food security. Phosphorous supply is threatened by the depletion of finite phosphate rock reserves. Inefficient use of phosphorous can contribute to water pollution and harmful algal blooms. Building a more sustainable phosphorus cycle is important for both resource security and environmental protection. Waste streams from biorefineries are a source of recoverable phosphorus. This project will create a pathway to recover phosphorous from waste. The research will advance circular bioeconomy goals by transforming waste into value, reducing reliance on finite mineral resources, and lowering environmental burdens associated with nutrient losses. The project will also provide interdisciplinary training for students and create educational outreach opportunities. This project will develop an innovative renewable biocatalytic platform for efficient phosphorus conversion and recovery from biorefinery waste streams. Compared with chemical or free enzyme-based hydrolysis, the proposed biocatalytic process offers high efficiency, fast kinetics, low energy, and reduced chemical input. The project will provide a scalable and low-coast biocatalyst regeneration process with enhanced stability in reuse. The research objectives will include: 1) Engineer and optimize the biocatalyst to achieve high catalytic efficiency; 2) Determine and enhance the robustness of the biocatalyst with a new artificial intelligence driven bioengineering framework; 3) Establish lab-scale biocatalytic processes for phosphorus recovery from real-world biorefinery waste streams and conduct Techno-Economic Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment to understand the economic feasibility and environmental impact of the proposed approach. The interdisciplinary effort will integrate synthetic biology, AI, and bioprocess engineering. The project will generate fundamental knowledge in synthetic biology, enzyme engineering, and resource recovery while establishing a scalable route for advancing a circular phosphorus economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.