Rachel Ruizhen Chen

School of Engineering Building, Room 404A   Dept. of Chemical Engineering   Virginia Commonwealth University   601 W. Main St.   Richmond, VA 23284	Tel: 804-828-7789 Fax: 804-828-9866 E-mail: rchen@vcu.edu
Web: www.egr.vcu.edu/chem/ce_chen.html
Research: Alteration of enzymatic properties through genetic engineering

BBSI project: Vanilla from Corn? Molecular Evolution in Test Tube?
Did you know that only 0.2 % of vanillin (the main component in vanilla) used in food flavoring, pharmaceutical and perfumes is actually from vanilla flower pods? The synthetic vanillin is less desirable because it is derived from a non-renewable source, petroleum. In addition, the synthetic process involves a carcinogen. A more environmentally friendly approach of making vanillin is being taken in our laboratory, involving enzymatic extraction of vanillin precursor from corn bran and subsequently carrying out a microbial conversion of the precursor to vanillin. This particular project for a BBSI student in the first year will focus on identifying and evaluating novel enzyme activities to extract vanillin precursor from corn bran. Once the enzyme is identified, the gene coding for the enzyme will be cloned into a microorganism. In the second year of the project, the student will explore opportunities of using directed evolution (a laboratory process mimicking the natural evolution to generate and select superior enzyme variants) to modify and augment the enzyme activity.

Other research interests:

• Enzymatic Glycoprotein Remodelling
• Combinatorial Biocatalysis
• Enzymatic Oligosaccharide Synthesis
• Metabolic Engineering

close window