A range of terpenes have been identified as high-value chemicals in food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.[11][12] Chemical synthesis of terpenes can be problematic because of their complex structure, and plants produce very small amounts of these valuable chemicals, making it difficult, time consuming and expensive to extract them directly from plants. Scientists are working to identify the key enzymes and pathways that produce terpenes in plants. In 2014, researchers at the John Innes Centre[13] searched the genomes of 17 plant species to find the genes that encode terpenoid synthase enzymes that give terpenes their basic structure, and cytochrome P450s that modify this basic structure.[14] Once genes have been identified for the synthesis pathway of a specific terpene, synthetic biology techniques could be used to make high levels of this terpene, using plants or microorganisms (e.g. yeast) as “factories”. This could mean cheaper and more sustainable production of economically and medicinally important terpenes. For example, the effective anti-malarial terpene artemesinin, from the plant Artemisia annua, can now be produced in yeast.
A range of terpenes have been identified as high-value chemicals in food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.[11][12] Chemical synthesis of terpenes can be problematic because of their complex structure, and plants produce very small amounts of these valuable chemicals, making it difficult, time consuming and expensive to extract them directly from plants. Scientists are working to identify the key enzymes and pathways that produce terpenes in plants. In 2014, researchers at the John Innes Centre[13] searched the genomes of 17 plant species to find the genes that encode terpenoid synthase enzymes that give terpenes their basic structure, and cytochrome P450s that modify this basic structure.[14] Once genes have been identified for the synthesis pathway of a specific terpene, synthetic biology techniques could be used to make high levels of this terpene, using plants or microorganisms (e.g. yeast) as “factories”. This could mean cheaper and more sustainable production of economically and medicinally important terpenes. For example, the effective anti-malarial terpene artemesinin, from the plant Artemisia annua, can now be produced in yeast.
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