![Image of RuBisCO-Variants-1024x576.jpg](https://www.sandia.gov/app/uploads/sites/156/2023/01/RuBisCO-Variants-1024x576.jpg)
Ryan Davis, a principal member of Sandia’s technical staff in Bioresource and Environmental Security, and his team developed a high-quality feedstock to address sustainability challenges to meet the growing global demand for protein.
RuBisCO (Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase) is the photosynthetic enzyme in the green leaves of plants, the most abundant soluble protein on Earth, and a key enzyme in the global carbon cycle. The protein is easy to extract and highly digestible.
Davis and his team uncovered a process to complete many codon swaps. (Codon swaps alter the protein’s genetic code to increase the methionine (Met) and lysine (Lys) content, two high-value amino acids that make up RuBisCO.) This improves the value and quality of the protein source and produces new high-quality protein feedstocks to supplement existing agriculture.
The developed technology can be used by the plant-based protein industry without the sustainability impacts of animal protein sources.
Sandia researcher linked to work
Sponsored by
![Image of CMYK_Color-Seal_Green-Mark_SC_Vertical](https://www.sandia.gov/app/uploads/sites/156/2023/03/CMYK_Color-Seal_Green-Mark_SC_Vertical.png)
Associated Publications
Vuppaladadiyam A.K., Yao J.G., Florin, N., George A., Wang X., Labeeuw L., Jiang Y., Davis R.W., Abbas A., Ralph P., Fennell P.S., & Zhao M. (2017). “Impact of flue gas compounds on microalgae and mechanisms for carbon assimilation and utilization.” ChemSusChem 11:334-355.
Wu W. & Davis R.W. (2017). “One-pot bioconversion of algae biomass into terpenes for advanced biofuels and bioproducts.” Algal Res 17:316-320.
Wu W., Tran-Gyamfi M.B., Jaryenneh J.D., & Davis R.W. (2016). “Cofactor engineering of keto-acid reductoisomerase (IlvC) and alcohol dehydrogenase (YqhD) improves the fusel alcohol yield in algal protein anaerobic fermentation.” Algal Res 19:162-167.
Davis R.W., Siccardi A.J., Huysman N.D., Wyatt N.B., & Lane T.W. (2015). “Growth of mono- and mixed cultures of Nannochloropsis salina and Phaeodactylum tricornutum on struvite as a nutrient source” Bioresrource. Technology. 198: 577-85
Davis R.W., Carvalho B.J., Jones H.D.T., & Singh S. (2014). “The role of photo-osmotic adaptation in semi-continuous culture and lipid particle release from Dunaliella viridis.” J. Appl. Phycol.
Davis R.W., George A., Lane T.W., Pate R.C., & Wu B.C. (2018). “Tandem Biochemical and Thermochemical Conversion of Algal Biomass.” US Appl. No. 14/750,960.
Hewson J.C., Davis R.W., & Lane T.W. (2015). “High-Rate Algae Culture Using Struvite as a Nutrient Source.” US Appl. No. 14/750,993.
Relevant Content
- Licensing RuBisCo research
- Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program invested in furthering the research of enhancing RuBisCO as a sustainable protein source
- Initial research in algae processing funded by the DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office
Keywords:
- Bioenergy Technologies Office
- Biological and Environmental Research (BER) Program
- DOE
- LDRD
- Office of Science
January 23, 2023