SECTION 1: ABSTRACT 1. Provide an abstract/summary for your project. (minimum 150 words)
This project is aimed at a critical bottleneck in the biosynthesis of paclitaxel, a widely used chemotherapy drug. Current production methods rely heavily on semi-synthesis using yew-derived intermediates such as baccatin III, which creates environmental, economic, and supply-chain limitations [1]. This creates an opportunity to develop a more sustainable and economically viable microbial production route. A major challenge in microbial paclitaxel biosynthesis is the poor catalytic efficiency and selectivity of taxadiene 5α-hydroxylase, CYP725A4. When expressed in E. coli, CYP725A4 produces taxadien-5α-ol only as a minor product and forms multiple undesired oxidised side products instead [2,3].
