New bioproduction systems for chemicals and fuels: Needs and new development

An-Ping Zeng

doi:10.1016/j.biotechadv.2019.01.003

New bioproduction systems for chemicals and fuels: Needs and new development

Biotechnol Adv. 2019 Jul-Aug;37(4):508-518. doi: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2019.01.003. Epub 2019 Jan 11.

Author

An-Ping Zeng¹

Affiliation

¹ Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, North Third Ring Road 15, Chaoyang District, 100029 Beijing, China; Institute of Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering, Hamburg University of Technology, Denickestrasse 15, D-21073 Hamburg, Germany. Electronic address: aze@tuhh.de.

PMID: 30639927
DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2019.01.003

Abstract

Currently used bioproduction systems for chemicals and fuels are primarily based on sugar-containing substrates. They have inherent limitations regarding substrate sustainability and affordability, product spectrum and yield, and costs for up- and downstream processing. To overcome some of these major burdens new bioproduction strategies and systems are being developed, including biorefinery, electro-biotechnology (use of electricity for biosynthesis) and C1 bioeconomy using synthetic biological systems based on C1 carbon feedstocks such as CO, CO₂, methane, methanol and formic acid. In this article, the promises, development trends and challenges of these new bioproduction systems and concepts are briefly summarized and discussed.

Keywords: 1,3-propanediol; Bioproduction; Biorefinery; C1 bioeconomy; CO(2); Electro-biotechnology; Feedstock; Formic acid; Synthetic biology.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Biofuels*
Bioreactors
Biotechnology / methods*
Carbon / chemistry
Metabolic Engineering / methods*
Methane / chemistry

Substances

Biofuels
Carbon
Methane