Principles and practice of designing microbial biocatalysts for fuel and chemical production

Wood biochar induced metal tolerance in Maize (Zea mays L.) plants under heavy metal stress

Due to metal toxicity, widespread industrialization has negatively impacted crop yield and soil quality. The current study was aimed to prepare and characterize biochar made from wood shavings of Pinus roxburghii and to determine the plant growth promoting and heavy metal detoxification of cadmium (Cd) and chromium (Cr) contaminated soil. FTIR SEM coupled with EDX characterization of biochar was performed; Cd and Cr were used at a rate of 20 mg/kg. Biochar was used at the rate of 50 mg/kg for various treatments. The completely randomized design (CRD) was used for the experiment and three replicates of each treatment were made. Various agronomic and enzymatic parameters were determined. The results indicated that all growth and enzymatic parameters were enhanced by the prepared biochar treatments. The most prominent results were observed in treatment T5 (in which shoot length, root length, peroxidase dismutase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD) catalyzes (CAT), and chlorophyll a and b increased by 28%, 23%, 40%, 41%, 42%, and 27%, respectively, compared to the control). This study demonstrated that biochar is a sustainable and cost-effective approach for the remediation of heavy metals, and plays a role in plant growth promotion. Farmers may benefit from the current findings, as prepared biochar is easier to deliver and more affordable than chemical fertilizers. Future research could clarify how to use biochar optimally, applying the minimum amount necessary while maximizing its benefits and increasing yield.

Extrapolation of design strategies for lignocellulosic biomass conversion to the challenge of plastic waste

The goal of cost-effective production of fuels and chemicals from biomass has been a substantial driver of the development of the field of metabolic engineering. The resulting design principles and procedures provide a guide for the development of cost-effective methods for degradation, and possibly even valorization, of plastic wastes. Here, we highlight these parallels, using the creative work of Lonnie O'Neal (Neal) Ingram in enabling production of fuels and chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass, with a focus on ethanol production as an exemplar process.