MEMBRANE-BASED MICROBIAL-OXIDATION PROCESS FOR PHEROMONE PRODUCTION

IMPROVED METHODS ARE NEEDED TO LIMIT THE COSTLY DAMAGE CAUSED BY FOREST BEETLES THROUGHOUT THE U.S. AND THE WORLD. INSECT PHEROMONES--CHEMICALS THAT CAN BE USED TO CONTROL INSECT BEHAVIOR--ARE AN ATTRACTIVE PEST-CONTROL METHOD BECAUSE OF THEIR SAFETY, SPECIFICITY, AND EFFECTIVENESS. THE USE OF FOREST-BEETLE PHEROMONES HAS BEEN LIMITED, HOWEVER, BY THE LACK OF A COMMERCIALLY PRACTICAL, COST-EFFECTIVE PRODUCTION PROCESS. THE GOAL OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO COMBINE SYNTHESIS OF FOREST-BEETLE PHEROMONES VIA MICROBIAL OXIDATION AND USE OF A MEMBRANE-REACTOR PROCESS TO CREATE A COMMERCIALLY PRACTICAL, ECONOMICAL PRODUCTION PROCESS FOR FOREST-BEETLE PHEROMONES. THE COMBINATION OF THESE TWO TECHNOLOGIES WILL ELIMINATE KEY TECHNICAL OBSTACLES THAT CURRENTLY HAMPER LARGE-SCALE MANUFACTURE OF FOREST-BEETLE PHEROMONES. IN PHASE I, WE WILL SEEK TO DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF OUR APPROACH THROUGH DEVELOPMENT OF A FED-BATCH/MEMBRANE-REACTOR PROCESS TO PRODUCE A COMMERCIALLYVALUABLE TARGET-PHEROMONE, TRANS-VERBENOL, FROM ALPHA-PINENE. ASSUMING SUCCESS IN PHASE I, IN PHASE II WE WILL OPTIMIZE THE PRODUCTION PROCESS FOR TRANS-VERBENOL AND EXAMINE BROADER APPLICATIONS OF THE PROCESS. PHASE II WILL LAY THE GROUND WORK FOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF THE PROCESS IN PHASE III.