Building an expanded bio-based economy through synthetic biology

Andrea M Garza Elizondo; Ilenne Del Valle Kessra; Erica Teixeira Prates; Evan Komp; Elise K Phillips; Nandhini Ashok; Daniel A Jacobson; Erin G Webb; Yannick J Bomble; William G Alexander; Joanna Tannous; Chung-Jui Tsai; Wayne A Parrott; Xiaohan Yang; Breeanna R Urbanowicz; Laura E Bartley; Costas D Maranas; Gerald A Tuskan; Adam M Guss; Carrie A Eckert

doi:10.1016/j.biotechadv.2025.108775

Building an expanded bio-based economy through synthetic biology

Biotechnol Adv. 2026 Mar-Apr:87:108775. doi: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2025.108775. Epub 2025 Dec 6.

Authors

Andrea M Garza Elizondo¹, Ilenne Del Valle Kessra¹, Erica Teixeira Prates², Evan Komp³, Elise K Phillips², Nandhini Ashok², Daniel A Jacobson², Erin G Webb², Yannick J Bomble⁴, William G Alexander², Joanna Tannous¹, Chung-Jui Tsai⁵, Wayne A Parrott⁶, Xiaohan Yang², Breeanna R Urbanowicz⁷, Laura E Bartley⁸, Costas D Maranas⁹, Gerald A Tuskan², Adam M Guss¹⁰, Carrie A Eckert¹¹

Affiliations

¹ Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA.
² Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA; Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA.
³ Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA; Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, USA.
⁴ Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA; Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, USA.
⁵ Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA; School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA; Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA; Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
⁶ Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA; Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA; Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA; Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
⁷ Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA; Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
⁸ Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA; Institute of Biological Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA.
⁹ Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA; Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
¹⁰ Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA; Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA. Electronic address: gussam@ornl.gov.
¹¹ Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA; Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA. Electronic address: eckertca@ornl.gov.

PMID: 41360191
DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2025.108775

Abstract

The field of synthetic biology is essential to the continued development of a bio-based economy, creating mechanisms to supply carbon needed in the economy by both converting existing end-of-life wastes as well as by creating novel, purpose-grown and sustainable feedstocks. Here, we first discuss the near- and long-term resources available for use as feedstocks for bioconversion as well as the output molecules needed for building the foundation of an expanded bio-based economy. We then outline the organisms and phenotypic traits that are needed for the performance-advantaged chassis organisms of the future. Furthermore, we detail the advances, challenges, and opportunities in both microbial and plant synthetic biology relevant to expanding the bio-based economy. Finally, we explore technologies that have and will further enable advances in synthetic biology and the greater bio-based economy.

Keywords: Bio-based economy; Feedstocks; Genetic engineering; Lignocellulosic biomass; Machine learning; Performance-advantaged; Synthetic biology.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Biotechnology* / economics
Metabolic Engineering
Synthetic Biology* / economics
Synthetic Biology* / methods