Benzaldehyde Pichia pastoris

A very similar process is used to catalyze the oxidation of aromatic and aliphatic alcohols to their corresponding aldehydes. An alcohol oxidase enzyme isolated from Pichia pastoris placed in a two-phase system will readily produce benzaldehyde from benzyl alcohol. While this oxidation is slow and inefficient in aqueous systems, oxidation in a two-phase system increased yield by a factor of nine and reaction time was shortened greatly [74]. 

Benzyl alcohol has also been employed as substrate with the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris, in the presence of methanol, that induces the production of nonspecific alcohol oxidases able to convert benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde. Very recently, in situ product removal approaches (adsorption and/or pervaporation) have been exploited with this system. In particular, adsorption on hydrophobic resin in a solid-liquid two-phase partitioning bioreactor afforded yields of up to 14g in a 5-1 reactor [104,105]. 

A.J. (2010) Bioproduction of benzaldehyde in a solid-liquid two-phase partitioning bioreactor using Pichia pastoris. Biotechnol. Lett, 31, 1649-1654. 

Craig, T. and Daugulis, A.J. (2013) Polymer characterization and optimization of conditions for the enhanced bioproduction of benzaldehyde by Pichia pastoris in a two-phase partitioning bioreactor. Biotechnol Bioeng., 110, 1098-1105. 

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