Solvent production by engineered Ralstonia eutropha: channeling carbon to biofuel

• Published in: Applied microbiology and biotechnology Vol. 102; no. 12; pp. 5021 - 5031
• Main Authors: Chakravarty, Jayashree, Brigham, Christopher J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-06-2018; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acetone; Aerobic conditions; Alcohols; Biodiesel fuels; Biofuels; Biomass; Biomass energy; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biopolymers; Biotechnology; Butanol; Carbon; Carbon dioxide; Carbon sources; Channeling; Chemical properties; Chemical synthesis; Engineers; Fermentation; Fuels; Genetic engineering; Industrial engineering; Ketones; Life Sciences; Manufacturing engineering; Metabolic engineering; Metabolites; Microbial Genetics and Genomics; Microbiology; Microorganisms; Mini-Review; Polyhydroxyalkanoates; Polyhydroxyalkanoic acid; Production costs; Production processes; Proteobacteria; Ralstonia eutropha; Solvents; Substrates; Terpenes; Solvents; Carbon metabolism; Biofuels; Chemolithoautotroph; Alcohols; Ralstonia eutropha
• ISSN: 0175-7598; 1432-0614
• DOI: 10.1007/s00253-018-9026-1

Microbial production of solvents like acetone and butanol was a couple of the first industrial fermentation processes to gain global importance. These solvents are important feedstocks for the chemical and biofuel industry.
Ralstonia eutropha
is a facultatively chemolithoautotrophic bacterium able to grow with organic substrates or H
2
and CO
2
under aerobic conditions. This bacterium is a natural producer of polyhydroxyalkanoate biopolymers. Recently, with the advances in the development of genetic engineering tools, the range of metabolites
R. eutropha
can produce has enlarged. Its ability to utilize various carbon sources renders it an interesting candidate host for synthesis of renewable biofuel and solvent production. This review focuses on progress in metabolic engineering of
R. eutropha
for the production of alcohols, terpenes, methyl ketones, and alka(e)nes using various resources. Biological synthesis of solvents still presents the challenge of high production costs and competition from chemical synthesis. Better understanding of
R. eutropha
biology will support efforts to engineer and develop superior microbial strains for solvent production. Continued research on multiple fronts is required to engineer
R. eutropha
for truly sustainable and economical solvent production.