title: Branched-chain higher alcohols.
abstract: China's energy requirements and environmental concerns have stimulated efforts toward developing alternative liquid fuels. Compared with fuel ethanol, branched-chain higher alcohols (BCHAs), including isopropanol, isobutanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol, and 3-methyl-1-butanol, exhibit significant advantages, such as higher energy density, lower hygroscopicity, lower vapor pressure, and compatibility with existing transportation infrastructures. However, BCHAs have not been synthesized economically using native organisms, and thus their microbial production based on metabolic engineering and synthetic biology offers an alternative approach, which presents great potential for improving production efficiency. We review the current status of production and consumption of BCHAs and research progress regarding their microbial production in China, especially with the combination of metabolic engineering and synthetic biology.
authors: Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Tianjin, 300308, China.
authors: Bao-Wei
authors: BW
authors: Wang
authors: Ai-Qin
authors: AQ
authors: Shi
authors: Ran
authors: R
authors: Tu
authors: Xue-Li
authors: XL
authors: Zhang
authors: Qin-Hong
authors: QH
authors: Wang
authors: Feng-Wu
authors: FW
authors: Bai
mesh_terms: D000438:Alcohols / Q000378:metabolism*; D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources / Q000382:microbiology*; D056804:Biofuels; D002681:China; D060847:Metabolic Engineering / Q000379:methods; D058615:Synthetic Biology / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000438:Alcohols; D056804:Biofuels