# Plant terpenoids: Deciphering metabolic pathways and improving production in microbes

> **NIH NIH R35** · STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO · 2024 · $400,009

## Abstract

Beyond their prevalence in everyday life, many plant terpenoids have life-saving medicinal applications for a
variety of human diseases. Despite their clear medicinal importance, it remains unclear how plants synthesize
most plant terpneoids. This knowledge gap prevents us from developing a better method to access terpenoids
since medicinal terpenoids are extracted from plants with meager yields. This research program aims to
accelerate the identification of plant terpenoid biosynthetic pathways and to improve plant terpenoid production
in microbes. Synthesizing plant terpenoids in microbes is a far more cost-effective approach as it can significantly
enhance terpenoid productivity and shorten production time. We developed an integrated workflow capable of
high-throughput characterization of multiple plant terpenoid pathways in parallel. This workflow combines
genomic mining, transcriptomic analysis, metabolomics, and biochemical assays for terpenoid pathway
elucidation followed by pathway reconstitution in engineered microbes for high-titer terpenoid production. Our
workflow is unique in that it includes gene clusters in plant genomes as an untapped source for uncovering novel
plant biosynthetic pathways. Another unique feature of our workflow is that we use a highly engineered yeast
strain as a platform to produce plant specialized terpenoids. This highly productive platform strain sets the stage
for cost-effective production of any of the >80,000 terpenoids and infinite numbers of terpenoid analogs. In this
research program, we will apply this workflow to decipher multiple plant terpenoid pathways, including valuable
mono-, di-, sesqui-, tri-, and tetra-terpenoid synthetic routes in foxglove, millet, crocus, and other plant species.
Progress from the proposed work will advance fundamental knowledge regarding how plants synthesize
medicinally important or biologically active terpenoids. It will also transform the biomanufacturing of plant-based
medicines for renewable and cost-effective production.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10911929
- **Project number:** 5R35GM150552-02
- **Recipient organization:** STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO
- **Principal Investigator:** Zhen Wang
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $400,009
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-09-01 → 2028-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10911929

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10911929, Plant terpenoids: Deciphering metabolic pathways and improving production in microbes (5R35GM150552-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10911929. Licensed CC0.

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