title: System-level modeling of acetone-butanol-ethanol fermentation.
abstract: Acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation is a metabolic process of clostridia that produces bio-based solvents including butanol. It is enabled by an underlying metabolic reaction network and modulated by cellular gene regulation and environmental cues. Mathematical modeling has served as a valuable strategy to facilitate the understanding, characterization and optimization of this process. In this review, we highlight recent advances in system-level, quantitative modeling of ABE fermentation. We begin with an overview of integrative processes underlying the fermentation. Next we survey modeling efforts including early simple models, models with a systematic metabolic description, and those incorporating metabolism through simple gene regulation. Particular focus is given to a recent system-level model that integrates the metabolic reactions, gene regulation and environmental cues. We conclude by discussing the remaining challenges and future directions towards predictive understanding of ABE fermentation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA.
authors.forename: Seung-Oh
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA luting@illinois.edu.
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000096:Acetone / Q000378:metabolism*; D001709:Biotechnology; D000440:Butanols / Q000378:metabolism*; D046969:Clostridium acetobutylicum / Q000378:metabolism; D000431:Ethanol / Q000378:metabolism*; D005285:Fermentation; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012997:Solvents
chemical_list: D000440:Butanols; D012997:Solvents; D000096:Acetone; D000431:Ethanol
keywords: ABE fermentation; butanol; mathematical modeling; system-level integration; systems biology