Pilot‐scale production of (<i>S</i>)‐styrene oxide from styrene by recombinant <i>Escherichia coli</i> synthesizing styrene monooxygenase

Abstract

Recombinant Escherichia coli JM101(pSPZ10) cells produce the styrene monooxygenase of Pseudomonas sp. strain VLB120, which catalyzes the oxidation of styrene to (S)-styrene oxide at an enantiomeric excess larger than 99%. This biocatalyst was used to produce 388 g of styrene oxide in a two-liquid phase 30-L fed-batch bioconversion. The average overall volumetric activity was 170 U per liter over a period of more than 10 h, equivalent to mass transfer rates of 10.2 mmoles per liter per hour at a phase ratio of 0.5. At this transfer rate, the biotransformation system appeared to be substrate mass-transfer limited. The reactor had an estimated power input in the order of 5 W. L(-1), which is close to values typically obtained with commercially operating units. The product could be easily purified by fractional distillation to a purity in excess of 97%. The process illustrates the feasibility of recombinant whole cell biotransformations in two-liquid phase systems with toxic substrates and products.