Biofuel alternatives to ethanol: pumping the microbial well.
Engineered microorganisms are currently used for the production of food products, pharmaceuticals, ethanol fuel and more. Even so, the enormous potential of this technology has yet to be fully exploited. The need for sustainable sources of transportation fuels has generated a tremendous interest in technologies that enable biofuel production. Decades of work have produced a considerable knowledge-base for the physiology and pathway engineering of microbes, making microbial engineering an ideal strategy for producing biofuel. Although ethanol currently dominates the biofuel market, some of its inherent physical properties make it a less than ideal product. To highlight additional options, we review advances in microbial engineering for the production of other potential fuel molecules, using a variety of biosynthetic pathways.
Fortman
J L
JL
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, 717 Potter Street, Building 977, Mail code 3224 Berkeley, CA 94720-3224, USA.
Chhabra
Swapnil
S
Mukhopadhyay
Aindrila
A
Chou
Howard
H
Lee
Taek Soon
TS
Steen
Eric
E
Keasling
Jay D
JD
D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism*; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism; D004736:Energy-Generating Resources; D000431:Ethanol / Q000378:metabolism*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D005285:Fermentation; D013729:Terpenes / Q000378:metabolism
D005227:Fatty Acids; D013729:Terpenes; D000431:Ethanol