title: Yeast synthetic biology toolbox and applications for biofuel production.
abstract: Yeasts are efficient biofuel producers with numerous advantages outcompeting bacterial counterparts. While most synthetic biology tools have been developed and customized for bacteria especially for Escherichia coli, yeast synthetic biological tools have been exploited for improving yeast to produce fuels and chemicals from renewable biomass. Here we review the current status of synthetic biological tools and their applications for biofuel production, focusing on the model strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae We describe assembly techniques that have been developed for constructing genes, pathways, and genomes in yeast. Moreover, we discuss synthetic parts for allowing precise control of gene expression at both transcriptional and translational levels. Applications of these synthetic biological approaches have led to identification of effective gene targets that are responsible for desirable traits, such as cellulosic sugar utilization, advanced biofuel production, and enhanced tolerance against toxic products for biofuel production from renewable biomass. Although an array of synthetic biology tools and devices are available, we observed some gaps existing in tool development to achieve industrial utilization. Looking forward, future tool development should focus on industrial cultivation conditions utilizing industrial strains.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Ching-Sung
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.|Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Suryang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kwak
authors.affiliation: Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.|Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Timothy L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.affiliation: Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA ysjin@illinois.edu.|Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Yong-Su
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D056804:Biofuels; D018533:Biomass; D060847:Metabolic Engineering; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D058615:Synthetic Biology
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels
keywords: biofuel; synthetic biology; yeast