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Diaz‐Troya S, Huertas MJ. Green microbes: Potential solutions for key sustainable development goals. Microb Biotechnol 2024; 17:e14546. [PMID: 39126420 PMCID: PMC11316392 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The latest assessment of progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has identified major obstacles, such as climate change, global instability and pandemics, which threaten efforts to achieve the SDGs even by 2050. Urgent action is needed, particularly to reduce poverty, hunger and climate change. In this context, microalgae are emerging as a promising solution, particularly in the context of food security and environmental sustainability. As versatile organisms, microalgae offer nutritional benefits such as high-quality proteins and essential fatty acids, and can be cultivated in non-arable areas, reducing competition for resources and improving the sustainability of food systems. The role of microalgae also includes other applications in aquaculture, where they serve as sustainable alternatives to animal feed, and in agriculture, where they act as biofertilizers and biostimulants. These microorganisms also play a key role in interventions on degraded land, stabilizing soils, improving hydrological function and increasing nutrient and carbon availability. Microalgae therefore support several SDGs by promoting sustainable agricultural practices and contributing to land restoration and carbon sequestration efforts. The integration of microalgae in these areas is essential to mitigate environmental impacts and improve global food security, highlighting the need for increased research and development, as well as public and political support, to exploit their full potential to advance the SDGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Diaz‐Troya
- Departamento de Bioquímica Vegetal y Biología Molecular, Facultad de BiologíaUniversidad de SevillaSevillaSpain
- Instituto de Bioquímica Vegetal y Fotosíntesis, Universidad de Sevilla, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasSevillaSpain
| | - María José Huertas
- Departamento de Bioquímica Vegetal y Biología Molecular, Facultad de BiologíaUniversidad de SevillaSevillaSpain
- Instituto de Bioquímica Vegetal y Fotosíntesis, Universidad de Sevilla, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasSevillaSpain
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2
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Gonzales JN, Treece TR, Mayfield SP, Simkovsky R, Atsumi S. Utilization of lignocellulosic hydrolysates for photomixotrophic chemical production in Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1022. [PMID: 37813969 PMCID: PMC10562401 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05394-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
To meet the need for environmentally friendly commodity chemicals, feedstocks for biological chemical production must be diversified. Lignocellulosic biomass are an carbon source with the potential for effective use in a large scale and cost-effective production systems. Although the use of lignocellulosic biomass lysates for heterotrophic chemical production has been advancing, there are challenges to overcome. Here we aim to investigate the obligate photoautotroph cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 as a chassis organism for lignocellulosic chemical production. When modified to import monosaccharides, this cyanobacterium is an excellent candidate for lysates-based chemical production as it grows well at high lysate concentrations and can fix CO2 to enhance carbon efficiency. This study is an important step forward in enabling the simultaneous use of two sugars as well as lignocellulosic lysate. Incremental genetic modifications enable catabolism of both sugars concurrently without experiencing carbon catabolite repression. Production of 2,3-butanediol is demonstrated to characterize chemical production from the sugars in lignocellulosic hydrolysates. The engineered strain achieves a titer of 13.5 g L-1 of 2,3-butanediol over 12 days under shake-flask conditions. This study can be used as a foundation for industrial scale production of commodity chemicals from a combination of sunlight, CO2, and lignocellulosic sugars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jake N Gonzales
- Plant Biology Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Tanner R Treece
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Stephen P Mayfield
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- California Center for Algae Biotechnology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Ryan Simkovsky
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- California Center for Algae Biotechnology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Shota Atsumi
- Plant Biology Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
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Yaashikaa PR, Senthil Kumar P, Saravanan A, Karishma S, Rangasamy G. A biotechnological roadmap for decarbonization systems combined into bioenergy production: Prelude of environmental life-cycle assessment. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 329:138670. [PMID: 37054843 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Decarbonization has become a critical issue in recent years due to rising energy demands and diminishing oil resources. Decarbonization systems based on biotechnology have proven to be a cost-effective and environmentally benign technique of lowering carbon emissions. Bioenergy generation is an environmentally friendly technique for mitigating climate change in the energy industry, and it is predicted to play an important role in lowering global carbon emissions. This review essentially provides a new perspective on the unique biotechnological approaches and strategies based decarbonization pathways. Furthermore, the application of genetically engineered microbes in CO2 biomitigation and energy generation is particularly emphasized. The production of biohydrogen and biomethane via anaerobic digestion techniques has been highlighted in the perspective. In this review, role of microorganisms in bioconversion of CO2 into different types of bioproducts such as biochemical, biopolymers, biosolvents and biosurfactant was summarized. The current analysis, which includes an in-depth discussion of a biotechnology-based roadmap for the bioeconomy, provides a clear picture of sustainability, forthcoming challenges, and perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- P R Yaashikaa
- Department of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering, SIMATS, Chennai, 602105, India
| | - P Senthil Kumar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Sri Sivasubramaniya Nadar College of Engineering, Kalavakkam, 603110, Tamil Nadu, India; Centre of Excellence in Water Research (CEWAR), Sri Sivasubramaniya Nadar College of Engineering, Kalavakkam, 603110, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | - A Saravanan
- Department of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering, SIMATS, Chennai, 602105, India
| | - S Karishma
- Department of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering, SIMATS, Chennai, 602105, India
| | - Gayathri Rangasamy
- School of Engineering, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon; University Centre for Research and Development & Department of Civil Engineering, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Mohali, Punjab, 140413, India
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Metabolic Engineering of Microorganisms to Produce Pyruvate and Derived Compounds. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28031418. [PMID: 36771084 PMCID: PMC9919917 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28031418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Pyruvate is a hub of various endogenous metabolic pathways, including glycolysis, TCA cycle, amino acid, and fatty acid biosynthesis. It has also been used as a precursor for pyruvate-derived compounds such as acetoin, 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BD), butanol, butyrate, and L-alanine biosynthesis. Pyruvate and derivatives are widely utilized in food, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, feed additives, and bioenergy industries. However, compounds such as pyruvate, acetoin, and butanol are often chemically synthesized from fossil feedstocks, resulting in declining fossil fuels and increasing environmental pollution. Metabolic engineering is a powerful tool for producing eco-friendly chemicals from renewable biomass resources through microbial fermentation. Here, we review and systematically summarize recent advances in the biosynthesis pathways, regulatory mechanisms, and metabolic engineering strategies for pyruvate and derivatives. Furthermore, the establishment of sustainable industrial synthesis platforms based on alternative substrates and new tools to produce these compounds is elaborated. Finally, we discuss the potential difficulties in the current metabolic engineering of pyruvate and derivatives and promising strategies for constructing efficient producers.
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Chen AY, Ku JT, Tsai TP, Hung JJ, Hung BC, Lan EI. Metabolic Engineering Design Strategies for Increasing Carbon Fluxes Relevant for Biosynthesis in Cyanobacteria. ADVANCES IN BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING/BIOTECHNOLOGY 2023; 183:105-144. [PMID: 37093259 DOI: 10.1007/10_2023_218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are promising microbial cell factories for the direct production of biochemicals and biofuels from CO2. Through genetic and metabolic engineering, they can be modified to produce a variety of both natural and non-natural compounds. To enhance the yield of these products, various design strategies have been developed. In this chapter, strategies used to enhance metabolic fluxes towards common precursors used in biosynthesis, including pyruvate, acetyl-CoA, malonyl-CoA, TCA cycle intermediates, and aromatics, are discussed. Additionally, strategies related to cofactor availability and mixotrophic conditions for bioproduction are also summarize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arvin Y Chen
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Bioengineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu City, Taiwan
| | - Jason T Ku
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Bioengineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu City, Taiwan
| | - Teresa P Tsai
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu City, Taiwan
| | - Jenny J Hung
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Bioengineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu City, Taiwan
| | - Billy C Hung
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Bioengineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu City, Taiwan
| | - Ethan I Lan
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu City, Taiwan.
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Hao F, Li X, Wang J, Li R, Zou L, Wang K, Chen F, Shi F, Yang H, Wang W, Tian M. Separation of Bioproducts through the Integration of Cyanobacterial Metabolism and Membrane Filtration: Facilitating Cyanobacteria's Industrial Application. MEMBRANES 2022; 12:963. [PMID: 36295722 PMCID: PMC9611232 DOI: 10.3390/membranes12100963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In this work, we propose the development of an efficient, economical, automated, and sustainable method for separating bioproducts from culture medium via the integration of a sucrose-secreting cyanobacteria production process and pressure-driven membrane filtration technology. Firstly, we constructed sucrose-secreting cyanobacteria with a sucrose yield of 600-700 mg/L sucrose after 7 days of salt stress, and the produced sucrose could be fully separated from the cyanobacteria cultures through an efficient and automated membrane filtration process. To determine whether this new method is also economical and sustainable, the relationship between membrane species, operating pressure, and the growth status of four cyanobacterial species was systematically investigated. The results revealed that all four cyanobacterial species could continue to grow after UF filtration. The field emission scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy results indicate that the cyanobacteria did not cause severe destruction to the membrane surface structure. The good cell viability and intact membrane surface observed after filtration indicated that this innovative cyanobacteria-membrane system is economical and sustainable. This work pioneered the use of membrane separation to achieve the in situ separation of cyanobacterial culture and target products, laying the foundation for the industrialization of cyanobacterial bioproducts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Hao
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
- Center of Special Environmental Biomechanics & Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
| | - Xinyi Li
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
| | - Jiameng Wang
- School of Astronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
| | - Ruoyue Li
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
| | - Liyan Zou
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
| | - Kai Wang
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
| | - Fuqing Chen
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
| | - Feixiong Shi
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
| | - Hui Yang
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
- Center of Special Environmental Biomechanics & Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
| | - Wen Wang
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
| | - Miao Tian
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
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Treece TR, Gonzales JN, Pressley JR, Atsumi S. Synthetic Biology Approaches for Improving Chemical Production in Cyanobacteria. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:869195. [PMID: 35372310 PMCID: PMC8965691 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.869195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological chemical production has gained traction in recent years as a promising renewable alternative to traditional petrochemical based synthesis. Of particular interest in the field of metabolic engineering are photosynthetic microorganisms capable of sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide. CO2 levels have continued to rise at alarming rates leading to an increasingly uncertain climate. CO2 can be sequestered by engineered photosynthetic microorganisms and used for chemical production, representing a renewable production method for valuable chemical commodities such as biofuels, plastics, and food additives. The main challenges in using photosynthetic microorganisms for chemical production stem from the seemingly inherent limitations of carbon fixation and photosynthesis resulting in slower growth and lower average product titers compared to heterotrophic organisms. Recently, there has been an increase in research around improving photosynthetic microorganisms as renewable chemical production hosts. This review will discuss the various efforts to overcome the intrinsic inefficiencies of carbon fixation and photosynthesis, including rewiring carbon fixation and photosynthesis, investigating alternative carbon fixation pathways, installing sugar catabolism to supplement carbon fixation, investigating newly discovered fast growing photosynthetic species, and using new synthetic biology tools such as CRISPR to radically alter metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanner R. Treece
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Jake N. Gonzales
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- Plant Biology Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Joseph R. Pressley
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Shota Atsumi
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- Plant Biology Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Shota Atsumi,
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Tan LR, Cao YQ, Li JW, Xia PF, Wang SG. Transcriptomics and metabolomics of engineered Synechococcus elongatus during photomixotrophic growth. Microb Cell Fact 2022; 21:31. [PMID: 35248031 PMCID: PMC8897908 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-022-01760-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Converting carbon dioxide (CO2) into value-added chemicals using engineered cyanobacteria is a promising strategy to tackle the global warming and energy shortage issues. However, most cyanobacteria are autotrophic and use CO2 as a sole carbon source, which makes it hard to compete with heterotrophic hosts in either growth or productivity. One strategy to overcome this bottleneck is to introduce sugar utilization pathways to enable photomixotrophic growth with CO2 and sugar (e.g., glucose and xylose). Advances in engineering mixotrophic cyanobacteria have been obtained, while a systematic interrogation of these engineered strains is missing. This work aimed to fill the gap at omics level. Results We first constructed two engineered Synechococcus elongatus YQ2-gal and YQ3-xyl capable of utilizing glucose and xylose, respectively. To investigate the metabolic mechanism, transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis were then performed in the engineered photomixotrophic strains YQ2-gal and YQ3-xyl. Transcriptome and metabolome of wild-type S. elongatus were set as baselines. Increased abundance of metabolites in glycolysis or pentose phosphate pathway indicated that efficient sugar utilization significantly enhanced carbon flux in S. elongatus as expected. However, carbon flux was redirected in strain YQ2-gal as more flowed into fatty acids biosynthesis but less into amino acids. In strain YQ3-xyl, more carbon flux was directed into synthesis of sucrose, glucosamine and acetaldehyde, while less into fatty acids and amino acids. Moreover, photosynthesis and bicarbonate transport could be affected by upregulated genes, while nitrogen transport and assimilation were regulated by less transcript abundance of related genes in strain YQ3-xyl with utilization of xylose. Conclusions Our work identified metabolic mechanism in engineered S. elongatus during photomixotrophic growth, where regulations of fatty acids metabolism, photosynthesis, bicarbonate transport, nitrogen assimilation and transport are dependent on different sugar utilization. Since photomixotrophic cyanobacteria is regarded as a promising cell factory for bioproduction, this comprehensive understanding of metabolic mechanism of engineered S. elongatus during photomixotrophic growth would shed light on the engineering of more efficient and controllable bioproduction systems based on this potential chassis. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12934-022-01760-1.
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Yao J, Wang J, Ju Y, Dong Z, Song X, Chen L, Zhang W. Engineering a Xylose-Utilizing Synechococcus elongatus UTEX 2973 Chassis for 3-Hydroxypropionic Acid Biosynthesis under Photomixotrophic Conditions. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:678-688. [PMID: 35119824 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Photomixotrophic cultivation of cyanobacteria is considered a promising strategy to achieve both high cell density and product accumulation, since cyanobacteria can obtain carbon and energy sources from organic matter in addition to those obtained from CO2 and sunlight. Acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) is a key precursor used for the biosynthesis of a wide variety of important value-added chemicals. However, the acetyl-CoA content in cyanobacteria is typically low under photomixotrophic conditions, which limits the productivity of the derived chemicals. In this study, a xylose utilization pathway from Escherichia coli was first engineered into fast-growing Synechococcus elongatus UTEX 2973 (hereafter Synechococcus 2973), enabling the xylose based photomixotrophy. Metabolomics analysis of the engineered strain showed that the utilization of xylose enhanced the carbon flow to the oxidative pentose phosphate (OPP) pathway, along with an increase in the intracellular abundance of metabolites such as fructose-6-phosphate (F6P), fructose-1,6-bisphosphate (FBP), ribose-5-phosphate (R5P), erythrose-4-phosphate (E4P), and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (G3P). Then, the native glycolytic pathway was rewired via heterologous phosphoketolase (Pkt) gene expression, combined with phosphofructokinase (Pfk) gene knockout and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (Fbp) gene overexpression, to drive more carbon flux from xylose to acetyl-CoA. Finally, a heterologous 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP) biosynthetic pathway was introduced. The results showed that 3-HP biosynthesis was improved by up to approximately 4.1-fold (from 22.5 mg/L to 91.3 mg/L) compared with the engineered strain without a rewired metabolism under photomixotrophic conditions and up to approximately 14-fold compared with the strain under photoautotrophic conditions. Using 3-HP as a "proof-of-molecule", our results demonstrated that this strategy could be applied to improve the intracellular pool of acetyl-CoA for the photomixotrophic production of value-added chemicals that require acetyl-CoA as a precursor in a cyanobacterial chassis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaqi Yao
- Laboratory of Synthetic Microbiology, School of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
- SynBio Research Platform, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin 300072, PR China
| | - Jin Wang
- Laboratory of Synthetic Microbiology, School of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
- SynBio Research Platform, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin 300072, PR China
| | - Yue Ju
- Laboratory of Synthetic Microbiology, School of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
- SynBio Research Platform, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin 300072, PR China
| | - Zhengxin Dong
- Laboratory of Synthetic Microbiology, School of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
- SynBio Research Platform, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin 300072, PR China
| | - Xinyu Song
- Laboratory of Synthetic Microbiology, School of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
- SynBio Research Platform, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin 300072, PR China
- Center for Biosafety Research and Strategy, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
| | - Lei Chen
- Laboratory of Synthetic Microbiology, School of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
- SynBio Research Platform, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin 300072, PR China
| | - Weiwen Zhang
- Laboratory of Synthetic Microbiology, School of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
- SynBio Research Platform, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin 300072, PR China
- Center for Biosafety Research and Strategy, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
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Sengupta A, Sunder AV, Sohoni SV, Wangikar PP. Fine-Tuning Native Promoters of Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 To Develop a Synthetic Toolbox for Heterologous Protein Expression. ACS Synth Biol 2019; 8:1219-1223. [PMID: 30973704 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.9b00066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 is a potential photosynthetic cell-factory. In this study, two native promoters from S. elongatus PCC 7942 driving the expression of abundant cyanobacterial proteins phycocyanin (P cpcB7942) and RuBisCO (P rbc7942) were characterized in relation to their sequence features, expression levels, diurnal behavior, and regulation by light and CO2, major abiotic factors important for cyanobacterial growth. P cpcB7942 was repressed under high light intensity, but cultivation at higher CO2 concentration was able to recover promoter activity. On the other hand, P rbc7942 was repressed by elevated CO2 with a negative regulatory region between 300 and 225 bp. Removal of this region flipped the effect of CO2 with Rbc225 being activated only at high CO2 concentration, besides leading to the loss of circadian rhythm. The results from this study on promoter features and regulation will help expand the repertoire of tools for pathway engineering in cyanobacteria.
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Xia P, Ling H, Foo JL, Chang MW. Synthetic Biology Toolkits for Metabolic Engineering of Cyanobacteria. Biotechnol J 2019; 14:e1800496. [DOI: 10.1002/biot.201800496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Peng‐Fei Xia
- Department of Biochemistry Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of Singapore8 Medical Drive Singapore 117597 Singapore
- NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI)National University of Singapore28 Medical Drive Singapore 117456 Singapore
| | - Hua Ling
- Department of Biochemistry Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of Singapore8 Medical Drive Singapore 117597 Singapore
- NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI)National University of Singapore28 Medical Drive Singapore 117456 Singapore
| | - Jee Loon Foo
- Department of Biochemistry Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of Singapore8 Medical Drive Singapore 117597 Singapore
- NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI)National University of Singapore28 Medical Drive Singapore 117456 Singapore
| | - Matthew Wook Chang
- Department of Biochemistry Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of Singapore8 Medical Drive Singapore 117597 Singapore
- NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI)National University of Singapore28 Medical Drive Singapore 117456 Singapore
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Metabolic engineering tools in model cyanobacteria. Metab Eng 2018; 50:47-56. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2018.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Revised: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Genome-wide fitness assessment during diurnal growth reveals an expanded role of the cyanobacterial circadian clock protein KaiA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E7174-E7183. [PMID: 29991601 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1802940115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The recurrent pattern of light and darkness generated by Earth's axial rotation has profoundly influenced the evolution of organisms, selecting for both biological mechanisms that respond acutely to environmental changes and circadian clocks that program physiology in anticipation of daily variations. The necessity to integrate environmental responsiveness and circadian programming is exemplified in photosynthetic organisms such as cyanobacteria, which depend on light-driven photochemical processes. The cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 is an excellent model system for dissecting these entwined mechanisms. Its core circadian oscillator, consisting of three proteins, KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC, transmits time-of-day signals to clock-output proteins, which reciprocally regulate global transcription. Research performed under constant light facilitates analysis of intrinsic cycles separately from direct environmental responses but does not provide insight into how these regulatory systems are integrated during light-dark cycles. Thus, we sought to identify genes that are specifically necessary in a day-night environment. We screened a dense bar-coded transposon library in both continuous light and daily cycling conditions and compared the fitness consequences of loss of each nonessential gene in the genome. Although the clock itself is not essential for viability in light-dark cycles, the most detrimental mutations revealed by the screen were those that disrupt KaiA. The screen broadened our understanding of light-dark survival in photosynthetic organisms, identified unforeseen clock-protein interaction dynamics, and reinforced the role of the clock as a negative regulator of a nighttime metabolic program that is essential for S. elongatus to survive in the dark.
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Sun T, Li S, Song X, Diao J, Chen L, Zhang W. Toolboxes for cyanobacteria: Recent advances and future direction. Biotechnol Adv 2018; 36:1293-1307. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2018.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Revised: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Hu G, Zhou J, Chen X, Qian Y, Gao C, Guo L, Xu P, Chen W, Chen J, Li Y, Liu L. Engineering synergetic CO2-fixing pathways for malate production. Metab Eng 2018; 47:496-504. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2018.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Revised: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 05/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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16
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Photomixotrophic chemical production in cyanobacteria. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2018; 50:65-71. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2017.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Revised: 11/11/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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17
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Tailoring cyanobacterial cell factory for improved industrial properties. Biotechnol Adv 2018; 36:430-442. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2018.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Revised: 01/07/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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18
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Woo HM. Metabolic pathway rewiring in engineered cyanobacteria for solar-to-chemical and solar-to-fuel production from CO 2. Bioengineered 2018; 9:2-5. [PMID: 28430539 PMCID: PMC5972923 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2017.1317572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Photoautotrophic cyanobacteria have been developed to convert CO2 to valuable chemicals and fuels as solar-to-chemical (S2C) and solar-to-fuel (S2F) platforms. Here, I describe the rewiring of the metabolic pathways in cyanobacteria to better understand the endogenous carbon flux and to enhance the yield of heterologous products. The plasticity of the cyanobacterial metabolism has been proposed to be advantageous for the development of S2C and S2F processes. The rewiring of the sugar catabolism and of the phosphoketolase pathway in the central cyanobacterial metabolism allowed for an enhancement in the level of target products by redirecting the carbon fluxes. Thus, metabolic pathway rewiring can promote the development of more efficient cyanobacterial cell factories for the generation of feasible S2C and S2F platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Min Woo
- a Department of Food Science and Biotechnology , Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) , Jangan-gu, Suwon , Republic of Korea
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19
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AraBAD Based Toolkit for Gene Expression and Metabolic Robustness Improvement in Synechococcus elongatus. Sci Rep 2017; 7:18059. [PMID: 29273782 PMCID: PMC5741739 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-17035-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
As a novel chemical production platform, controllable and inducible modules in Synechococcus elongatus plus the ability of working in diurnal conditions are necessary. To the endeavors, inducible promoters, such as PTrc, have been refined from Escherichia coli, but the inducer isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactoside may cause several side-effects. Meanwhile, to promote the efficiency, photomixotrophic cultivation has been applied in S. elongatus with the additional organic carbon sources. In this study, we developed L-arabinose based modules consisted of both the PBAD inducible promoter and the metabolism of L-arabinose in S. elongatus, since L-arabinose is an ideal heterologous feedstock for its availability and economic and environmental benefits. As expected, we achieved homogeneous and linear expression of the exogenous reporter through the PBAD promoter, and the biomass increased in diurnal light condition via introducing L-arabinose metabolism pathway. Moreover, the combined AraBAD based toolkit containing both the PBAD inducible module and the L-arabinose metabolism module could obtain gene expression and metabolic robustness improvement in S. elongatus. With the only additive L-arabinose, the novel strategy may generate a win-win scenario for both regulation and metabolism for autotrophic bio-production platforms.
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20
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Nozzi NE, Case AE, Carroll AL, Atsumi S. Systematic Approaches to Efficiently Produce 2,3-Butanediol in a Marine Cyanobacterium. ACS Synth Biol 2017; 6:2136-2144. [PMID: 28718632 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.7b00157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria have attracted significant interest as a platform for renewable production of fuel and feedstock chemicals from abundant atmospheric carbon dioxide by way of photosynthesis. While great strides have been made in developing this technology in freshwater cyanobacteria, logistical issues remain in scale-up. Use of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 (7002) as a chemical production chassis could address a number of these issues given the higher tolerance to salt, light, and heat as well as the fast growth rate of 7002 in comparison to traditional model cyanobacteria such as Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 and Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. However, despite growing interest, the development of genetic engineering tools for 7002 continues to lag behind those available for model cyanobacterial strains. In this work we demonstrate the systematic development of a 7002 production strain for the feedstock chemical 2,3-butanediol (23BD). We expand the range of tools available for use in 7002 by identifying and utilizing new integration sites for homologous recombination, demonstrating the inducibility of theophylline riboswitches, and screening a set of isopropyl β-d-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) inducible promoters. We then demonstrate improvements of 23BD production with the systematic screening of different conditions including: operon arrangement and copy number, light strength, inducer concentration, cell density at the time of induction, and nutrient concentration. Final production tests yielded titers of 1.6 g/L 23BD after 16 days at a rate of 100 mg/L/day. This work represents great strides in the development of 7002 as an industrially relevant production host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole E. Nozzi
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Anna E. Case
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Austin L. Carroll
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Shota Atsumi
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, United States
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21
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Study of ChiR function in Serratia marcescens and its application for improving 2,3-butanediol from crystal chitin. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2017; 101:7567-7578. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-017-8488-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2017] [Revised: 07/26/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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22
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Zhang A, Carroll AL, Atsumi S. Carbon recycling by cyanobacteria: improving CO2 fixation through chemical production. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2017; 364:4058408. [DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnx165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2017] [Accepted: 07/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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23
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Sarnaik A, Pandit R, Lali A. Growth engineering ofSynechococcus elongatusPCC 7942 for mixotrophy under natural light conditions for improved feedstock production. Biotechnol Prog 2017; 33:1182-1192. [DOI: 10.1002/btpr.2490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2016] [Revised: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Aditya Sarnaik
- DBT-ICT Centre for Energy Biosciences, Inst. of Chemical Technology; Mumbai Maharashtra 400019 India
| | - Reena Pandit
- DBT-ICT Centre for Energy Biosciences, Inst. of Chemical Technology; Mumbai Maharashtra 400019 India
| | - Arvind Lali
- DBT-ICT Centre for Energy Biosciences, Inst. of Chemical Technology; Mumbai Maharashtra 400019 India
- Department of Chemical Engineering; Inst. of Chemical Technology; Mumbai Maharashtra 400019 India
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24
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Global metabolic rewiring for improved CO 2 fixation and chemical production in cyanobacteria. Nat Commun 2017; 8:14724. [PMID: 28287087 PMCID: PMC5355792 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2016] [Accepted: 01/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacteria have attracted much attention as hosts to recycle CO2 into valuable chemicals. Although cyanobacteria have been engineered to produce various compounds, production efficiencies are too low for commercialization. Here we engineer the carbon metabolism of Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 to improve glucose utilization, enhance CO2 fixation and increase chemical production. We introduce modifications in glycolytic pathways and the Calvin Benson cycle to increase carbon flux and redirect it towards carbon fixation. The engineered strain efficiently uses both CO2 and glucose, and produces 12.6 g l−1 of 2,3-butanediol with a rate of 1.1 g l−1 d−1 under continuous light conditions. Removal of native regulation enables carbon fixation and 2,3-butanediol production in the absence of light. This represents a significant step towards industrial viability and an excellent example of carbon metabolism plasticity. Cyanobacteria are promising biofactories to reduce atmospheric CO2 and convert it into chemicals. Here the authors engineer Synechococcus elongatus carbon metabolism to increase 2,3-butanediol production from glucose and CO2 under light and dark conditions.
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25
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Kanno M, Atsumi S. Engineering an Obligate Photoautotrophic Cyanobacterium to Utilize Glycerol for Growth and Chemical Production. ACS Synth Biol 2017; 6:69-75. [PMID: 27643408 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.6b00239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria have attracted much attention as a means to directly recycle carbon dioxide into valuable chemicals that are currently produced from petroleum. However, the titers and productivities achieved are still far below the level required in industry. To make a more industrially applicable production scheme, glycerol, a byproduct of biodiesel production, can be used as an additional carbon source for photomixotrophic chemical production. Glycerol is an ideal candidate due to its availability and low cost. In this study, we found that a heterologous glycerol respiratory pathway enabled Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 to utilize extracellular glycerol. The engineered strain produced 761 mg/L of 2,3-butanediol in 48 h with a 290% increase over the control strain under continuous light conditions. Glycerol supplementation also allowed for continuous cell growth and 2,3-butanediol production in diurnal light conditions. These results highlight the potential of glycerol as an additional carbon source for photomixotrophic chemical production in cyanobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Kanno
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, United States
- Asahi Kasei Corporation, 2-1
Samejima, Fuji, Shizuoka 416-8501, Japan
| | - Shota Atsumi
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, United States
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26
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Woo HM. Solar-to-chemical and solar-to-fuel production from CO 2 by metabolically engineered microorganisms. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2017; 45:1-7. [PMID: 28088091 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2016.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Revised: 11/16/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Recent development of carbon capture utilization (CCU) for reduction of greenhouse gas emission are reviewed. In the case of CO2 utilization, I describe development of solar-to-chemical and solar-to-fuel technology that refers to the use of solar energy to convert CO2 to desired chemicals and fuels. Photoautotrophic cyanobacterial platforms have been extensively developed on this principle, producing a diverse range of alcohols, organic acids, and isoprenoids directly from CO2. Recent breakthroughs in the metabolic engineering of cyanobacteria were reviewed. In addition, adoption of the light harvesting mechanisms from nature, photovoltaics-derived water splitting technologies have recently been integrated with microbial biotechnology to produce desired chemicals. Studies on the integration of electrode material with next-generation microbes are showcased for alternative solar-to-chemical and solar-to-fuel platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Min Woo
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea.
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27
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Cyanobacterial metabolic engineering for biofuel and chemical production. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2016; 35:43-50. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2016.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Revised: 08/22/2016] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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28
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Claassens NJ, Sousa DZ, dos Santos VAPM, de Vos WM, van der Oost J. Harnessing the power of microbial autotrophy. Nat Rev Microbiol 2016; 14:692-706. [DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro.2016.130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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29
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Case AE, Atsumi S. Cyanobacterial chemical production. J Biotechnol 2016; 231:106-114. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2016.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2016] [Accepted: 05/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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