S199: Engineering Biocatalysts for Renewable Fuel and Chemicals

Bacteria are capable of efficiently transforming all of the sugar constituents of plants into a myriad of solvents, fuels, and other chemicals as renewable alternatives to petroleum-based chemicals. Up to half of the imported petroleum could be replaced by renewable bio-based products made from modern biomass feedstocks. Fundamental research has provided new genetic tools and an extensive background of information concerning the biochemistry, physiology and genetic code of many organisms. This wealth of information and tools now allow the rational redesign of metabolism to create biocatalyst for specific products of commercial interest.  Early studies demonstrated the feasibility of this approach by replacing the mixed acid fermentation pathway in one organism with a homo-ethanol pathway (like that in yeasts) from another bacterium. Resulting strains were unlike any previously known from nature and efficiently convert hexose and pentose sugars into ethanol. Based in part on this demonstration, subsequent researchers have now engineered many new bacterial biocatalysts for the commercial production of butanediols, propanediols, pyruvate, lactate, succinic acid, ethanol, and 3-hydroxypropionate. Additional research has demonstrated the feasibility engineering strains for more many other products with opportunities yet to be explored.  The combination of investment in fundamental research to expand the range of possibilities coupled with the desire by many to improve the environment by replacing petroleum-based chemicals with cleaner, greener, renewable products offers the opportunity for many new industries in the future.