The path to next generation biofuels: successes and challenges in the era of synthetic biology
Open Access
- 20 January 2010
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Springer Nature in Microbial Cell Factories
- Vol. 9 (1) , 3
- https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2859-9-3
Abstract
Volatility of oil prices along with major concerns about climate change, oil supply security and depleting reserves have sparked renewed interest in the production of fuels from renewable resources. Recent advances in synthetic biology provide new tools for metabolic engineers to direct their strategies and construct optimal biocatalysts for the sustainable production of biofuels. Metabolic engineering and synthetic biology efforts entailing the engineering of native and de novo pathways for conversion of biomass constituents to short-chain alcohols and advanced biofuels are herewith reviewed. In the foreseeable future, formal integration of functional genomics and systems biology with synthetic biology and metabolic engineering will undoubtedly support the discovery, characterization, and engineering of new metabolic routes and more efficient microbial systems for the production of biofuels.This publication has 127 references indexed in Scilit:
- Metabolic Engineering of Escherichia coli for Efficient Conversion of Glycerol to EthanolApplied and Environmental Microbiology, 2009
- Protein engineering in designing tailored enzymes and microorganisms for biofuels productionCurrent Opinion in Biotechnology, 2009
- Deletion of methylglyoxal synthase gene (mgsA) increased sugar co-metabolism in ethanol-producing Escherichia coliBiotechnology Letters, 2009
- Directed Evolution of Methanococcus jannaschii Citramalate Synthase for Biosynthesis of 1-Propanol and 1-Butanol by Escherichia coliApplied and Environmental Microbiology, 2008
- Metabolic engineering of Escherichia coli for 1-butanol and 1-propanol production via the keto-acid pathwaysMetabolic Engineering, 2008
- Engineering of an Escherichia coli Strain for the Production of 3-Methyl-1-ButanolApplied and Environmental Microbiology, 2008
- Microalgal triacylglycerols as feedstocks for biofuel production: perspectives and advancesThe Plant Journal, 2008
- Fermentative Utilization of Glycerol by Escherichia coli and Its Implications for the Production of Fuels and ChemicalsApplied and Environmental Microbiology, 2008
- Identification of Isopentenol Biosynthetic Genes from Bacillus subtilis by a Screening Method Based on Isoprenoid Precursor ToxicityApplied and Environmental Microbiology, 2007
- Engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for Efficient Anaerobic Alcoholic Fermentation of l -ArabinoseApplied and Environmental Microbiology, 2007