Enhanced 2-phenylethanol production from L-phenylalanine viain situproduct adsorption

Biotransformation of L-phenylalanine (L-Phe) to 2-phenylethanol (2-PE) was limited by product cytotoxicity. In order to improve 2-PE production, a biotransformation strategy applying in situ product adsorption was investigated. Resin HZ818 was chosen from several macroporous adsorbent resins, which adsorbed the most 2-PE and the least L-Phe. When 7% (dry w/v) resin HZ818 was added to the biotransformation system, 6.6 g l−1 2-PE was obtained from 12 g l−1 L-Phe, with a molar yield of 74.4%. Compared to the biotransformation without addition of adsorbent resin, the product concentration was improved by 66.2%. Adsorption of the produced 2-PE onto the resin facilitated product recovery and made the process more feasible for industrial application.