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Crowther TW, Rappuoli R, Corinaldesi C, Danovaro R, Donohue TJ, Huisman J, Stein LY, Timmis JK, Timmis K, Anderson MZ, Bakken LR, Baylis M, Behrenfeld MJ, Boyd PW, Brettell I, Cavicchioli R, Delavaux CS, Foreman CM, Jansson JK, Koskella B, Milligan-McClellan K, North JA, Peterson D, Pizza M, Ramos JL, Reay D, Remais JV, Rich VI, Ripple WJ, Singh BK, Smith GR, Stewart FJ, Sullivan MB, van den Hoogen J, van Oppen MJH, Webster NS, Zohner CM, van Galen LG. Scientists' call to action: Microbes, planetary health, and the Sustainable Development Goals. Cell 2024; 187:5195-5216. [PMID: 39303686 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.07.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/27/2024] [Indexed: 09/22/2024]
Abstract
Microorganisms, including bacteria, archaea, viruses, fungi, and protists, are essential to life on Earth and the functioning of the biosphere. Here, we discuss the key roles of microorganisms in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting recent and emerging advances in microbial research and technology that can facilitate our transition toward a sustainable future. Given the central role of microorganisms in the biochemical processing of elements, synthesizing new materials, supporting human health, and facilitating life in managed and natural landscapes, microbial research and technologies are directly or indirectly relevant for achieving each of the SDGs. More importantly, the ubiquitous and global role of microbes means that they present new opportunities for synergistically accelerating progress toward multiple sustainability goals. By effectively managing microbial health, we can achieve solutions that address multiple sustainability targets ranging from climate and human health to food and energy production. Emerging international policy frameworks should reflect the vital importance of microorganisms in achieving a sustainable future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W Crowther
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Zürich 8092, Switzerland; Restor Eco AG, Zürich 8001, Switzerland.
| | - Rino Rappuoli
- Fondazione Biotecnopolo di Siena, Siena 53100, Italy.
| | - Cinzia Corinaldesi
- Department of Materials, Environmental Sciences and Urban Planning, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona 60131, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo 90133, Italy
| | - Roberto Danovaro
- National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo 90133, Italy; Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona 60131, Italy
| | - Timothy J Donohue
- Wisconsin Energy Institute, Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | - Jef Huisman
- Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 94240, the Netherlands
| | - Lisa Y Stein
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - James Kenneth Timmis
- Institute of Political Science, University of Freiburg, Freiburg 79085, Germany; Athena Institute for Research on Innovation and Communication in Health and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081, the Netherlands
| | - Kenneth Timmis
- Institute of Microbiology, Technical University of Braunschweig, Braunschweig 38106, Germany
| | - Matthew Z Anderson
- Center for Genomic Science Innovation, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Lars R Bakken
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Aas 1433, Norway
| | - Matthew Baylis
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Cheshire, Neston CH64 7TE, UK
| | - Michael J Behrenfeld
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Philip W Boyd
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7004, Australia
| | - Ian Brettell
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Zürich 8092, Switzerland
| | - Ricardo Cavicchioli
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Camille S Delavaux
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Zürich 8092, Switzerland
| | - Christine M Foreman
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59718, USA
| | - Janet K Jansson
- Biological Sciences Division, Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, USA
| | - Britt Koskella
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Kat Milligan-McClellan
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-3125, USA
| | - Justin A North
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Devin Peterson
- Department of Food Science and Technology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Mariagrazia Pizza
- Department of Life Sciences, CBRB Center, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Juan L Ramos
- Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Granada 18008, Spain
| | - David Reay
- School of GeoSciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XP, UK
| | - Justin V Remais
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Virginia I Rich
- Center of Microbiome Science, Byrd Polar and Climate Research, and Microbiology Department, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43214, USA
| | - William J Ripple
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-5704, USA
| | - Brajesh K Singh
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia
| | - Gabriel Reuben Smith
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Zürich 8092, Switzerland
| | - Frank J Stewart
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Matthew B Sullivan
- Departments of Microbiology and Civil, Environmental, and Geodetic Engineering, Center of Microbiome Science, and EMERGE Biology Integration Institute, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Johan van den Hoogen
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Zürich 8092, Switzerland
| | - Madeleine J H van Oppen
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia; School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Nicole S Webster
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7004, Australia; Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia; Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Constantin M Zohner
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Zürich 8092, Switzerland
| | - Laura G van Galen
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Zürich 8092, Switzerland; Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN), Dover, DE 19901, USA.
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Wadler CS, Wolters JF, Fortney NW, Throckmorton KO, Zhang Y, Miller CR, Schneider RM, Wendt-Pienkowski E, Currie CR, Donohue TJ, Noguera DR, Hittinger CT, Thomas MG. Utilization of lignocellulosic biofuel conversion residue by diverse microorganisms. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS 2022; 15:70. [PMID: 35751080 PMCID: PMC9233362 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-022-02168-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lignocellulosic conversion residue (LCR) is the material remaining after deconstructed lignocellulosic biomass is subjected to microbial fermentation and treated to remove the biofuel. Technoeconomic analyses of biofuel refineries have shown that further microbial processing of this LCR into other bioproducts may help offset the costs of biofuel generation. Identifying organisms able to metabolize LCR is an important first step for harnessing the full chemical and economic potential of this material. In this study, we investigated the aerobic LCR utilization capabilities of 71 Streptomyces and 163 yeast species that could be engineered to produce valuable bioproducts. The LCR utilization by these individual microbes was compared to that of an aerobic mixed microbial consortium derived from a wastewater treatment plant as representative of a consortium with the highest potential for degrading the LCR components and a source of genetic material for future engineering efforts. RESULTS We analyzed several batches of a model LCR by chemical oxygen demand (COD) and chromatography-based assays and determined that the major components of LCR were oligomeric and monomeric sugars and other organic compounds. Many of the Streptomyces and yeast species tested were able to grow in LCR, with some individual microbes capable of utilizing over 40% of the soluble COD. For comparison, the maximum total soluble COD utilized by the mixed microbial consortium was about 70%. This represents an upper limit on how much of the LCR could be valorized by engineered Streptomyces or yeasts into bioproducts. To investigate the utilization of specific components in LCR and have a defined media for future experiments, we developed a synthetic conversion residue (SynCR) to mimic our model LCR and used it to show lignocellulose-derived inhibitors (LDIs) had little effect on the ability of the Streptomyces species to metabolize SynCR. CONCLUSIONS We found that LCR is rich in carbon sources for microbial utilization and has vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other trace metabolites necessary to support growth. Testing diverse collections of Streptomyces and yeast species confirmed that these microorganisms were capable of growth on LCR and revealed a phylogenetic correlation between those able to best utilize LCR. Identification and quantification of the components of LCR enabled us to develop a synthetic LCR (SynCR) that will be a useful tool for examining how individual components of LCR contribute to microbial growth and as a substrate for future engineering efforts to use these microorganisms to generate valuable bioproducts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caryn S Wadler
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1550 Linden Dr, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1552 University Ave, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
| | - John F Wolters
- Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1552 University Ave, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
- Laboratory of Genetics, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 425-g Henry Mall, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1552 University Ave, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
| | - Nathaniel W Fortney
- Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1552 University Ave, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1552 University Ave, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
| | - Kurt O Throckmorton
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1550 Linden Dr, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1552 University Ave, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
| | - Yaoping Zhang
- Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1552 University Ave, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1552 University Ave, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
| | - Caroline R Miller
- Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1552 University Ave, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
- Laboratory of Genetics, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 425-g Henry Mall, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1552 University Ave, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
| | - Rachel M Schneider
- Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1552 University Ave, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
- Laboratory of Genetics, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 425-g Henry Mall, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1552 University Ave, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
| | - Evelyn Wendt-Pienkowski
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1550 Linden Dr, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1552 University Ave, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
| | - Cameron R Currie
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1550 Linden Dr, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1552 University Ave, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
| | - Timothy J Donohue
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1550 Linden Dr, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
- Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1552 University Ave, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1552 University Ave, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
| | - Daniel R Noguera
- Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1552 University Ave, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1415 Engineering Dr, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1552 University Ave, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
| | - Chris Todd Hittinger
- Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1552 University Ave, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
- Laboratory of Genetics, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 425-g Henry Mall, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1552 University Ave, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
| | - Michael G Thomas
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1550 Linden Dr, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1552 University Ave, Madison, WI, 53726, USA.
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