iBET Hosts Dr. Ryan Summers (University of Alabama) for Seminar on Paraxanthine Production
iNOVA4Health Seminar on bacterial engineering for sustainable paraxanthine production from caffeine.
On June 3, 2026, iBET hosted Dr. Ryan Summers, Associate Professor in Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Alabama (USA), for an iNOVA4Health seminar titled “Metabolic Engineering of Bacteria for Production of High-Value Chemical Paraxanthine from Caffeine”.
Dr. Summers presented recent advances in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology for the biocatalytic production of methylxanthines, focusing on the conversion of caffeine into paraxanthine, a high-value compound gaining interest as a caffeine alternative in energy drinks and nutritional supplements due to its stimulatory effects and reduced side effects.
The seminar highlighted how enzyme engineering and synthetic biology can enable sustainable alternatives to traditional chemical synthesis routes, particularly for high-value fine chemicals.
iBET also welcomed a group of undergraduate students from the University of Alabama, currently completing a short-term research placement at iBET as part of the PURE BLISS (Portugal Undergraduate Research Experience in Biotechnology and Life Sciences) Research Program.
iBET acknowledges Dr. Ryan Summers for sharing his expertise in such an inspiring seminar.