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Li S, Kim M, Song YE, Hwan Son S, Kim HI, Jae J, Yan Q, Fei Q, Kim JR. Housing of electrosynthetic biofilms using a roll-up carbon veil electrode increases CO 2 conversion and faradaic efficiency in microbial electrosynthesis cells. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2024; 393:130157. [PMID: 38065517 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.130157] [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: 09/23/2023] [Revised: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Electrode-driven microbial electron transfer enables the conversion of CO2 into multi-carbon compounds. The electrosynthetic biofilms grow slowly on the surface and are highly susceptible to operational influences, such as hydrodynamic shear stress. In this study, a cylindrical roll-up carbon felt electrode was developed as a novel strategy to protect biofilms from shear stress within the reactor. The fabricated electrode allowed hydrogen bubble formation inside the structure, which enabled microbes to uptake hydrogen and convert CO2 to multi-carbon organic compounds. The roll-up electrode exhibited faster start-up and biofilm formation than the conventional linear shape carbon felt. The acetate yield and cathodic faradaic efficiency increased by 80% and 34%, respectively, and the bioelectrochemical stability was improved significantly. The roll-up structure increased biofilm development per unit electrode surface by three to five-fold. The roll-up configuration improved biofilm formation on the electrode, which enhanced the performance of microbial electrosynthesis-based CO2 valorization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuwei Li
- School of Chemical Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea; School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China; Department of Gastroenterology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, 277 West Yanta Road, Xi'an, Shanxi 710061, China
| | - Minsoo Kim
- School of Chemical Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Eun Song
- Advanced Biofuel and Bioproducts Process Development Unit, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA
| | - Sang Hwan Son
- School of Chemical Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyoung-Il Kim
- School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Jungho Jae
- School of Chemical Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Qun Yan
- School of Environmental and Civil Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Qiang Fei
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jung Rae Kim
- School of Chemical Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea.
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2
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Jang YS, Kim WJ, Im JA, Palaniswamy S, Yao Z, Lee HL, Yoon YR, Seong HJ, Papoutsakis ET, Lee SY. Efforts to install a heterologous Wood-Ljungdahl pathway in Clostridium acetobutylicum enable the identification of the native tetrahydrofolate (THF) cycle and result in early induction of solvents. Metab Eng 2023; 77:188-198. [PMID: 37054966 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2023.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Here, we report the construction of a Clostridium acetobutylicum strain ATCC 824 (pCD07239) by heterologous expression of carbonyl branch genes (CD630_0723∼CD630_0729) from Clostridium difficile, aimed at installing a heterologous Wood-Ljungdahl pathway (WLP). As part of this effort, in order to validate the methyl branch of the WLP in the C. acetobutylicum, we performed 13C-tracing analysis on knockdown mutants of four genes responsible for the formation of 5-methyl-tetrahydrofolate (5-methyl-THF) from formate: CA_C3201, CA_C2310, CA_C2083, and CA_C0291. While C. acetobutylicum 824 (pCD07239) could not grow autotrophically, in heterotrophic fermentation, it began producing butanol at the early growth phase (OD600 of 0.80; 0.162 g/L butanol). In contrast, solvent production in the parent strain did not begin until the early stationary phase (OD600 of 7.40). This study offers valuable insights for future research on biobutanol production during the early growth phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Sin Jang
- Division of Applied Life Science (BK21 Four), Department of Applied Life Chemistry, Institute of Agriculture & Life Science (IALS), Gyeongsang National University (GNU), Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea.
| | - Won Jun Kim
- Metabolic and Biomolecular Engineering National Research Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK21 Four Program), Institute for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Ae Im
- Metabolic and Biomolecular Engineering National Research Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK21 Four Program), Institute for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Sampathkumar Palaniswamy
- Division of Applied Life Science (BK21 Four), Department of Applied Life Chemistry, Institute of Agriculture & Life Science (IALS), Gyeongsang National University (GNU), Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Zhuang Yao
- Division of Applied Life Science (BK21 Four), Department of Applied Life Chemistry, Institute of Agriculture & Life Science (IALS), Gyeongsang National University (GNU), Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Haeng Lim Lee
- Division of Applied Life Science (BK21 Four), Department of Applied Life Chemistry, Institute of Agriculture & Life Science (IALS), Gyeongsang National University (GNU), Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Ye Rin Yoon
- Division of Applied Life Science (BK21 Four), Department of Applied Life Chemistry, Institute of Agriculture & Life Science (IALS), Gyeongsang National University (GNU), Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeon Jeong Seong
- Division of Applied Life Science (BK21 Four), Department of Applied Life Chemistry, Institute of Agriculture & Life Science (IALS), Gyeongsang National University (GNU), Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Eleftherios T Papoutsakis
- Delaware Biotechnology Institute, University of Delaware, 590 Avenue 1743, Newark, DE, 19713, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, 118 Wolf Hall, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
| | - Sang Yup Lee
- Metabolic and Biomolecular Engineering National Research Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK21 Four Program), Institute for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea.
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Ricci L, Seifert A, Bernacchi S, Fino D, Pirri CF, Re A. Leveraging substrate flexibility and product selectivity of acetogens in two-stage systems for chemical production. Microb Biotechnol 2023; 16:218-237. [PMID: 36464980 PMCID: PMC9871533 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Carbon dioxide (CO2 ) stands out as sustainable feedstock for developing a circular carbon economy whose energy supply could be obtained by boosting the production of clean hydrogen from renewable electricity. H2 -dependent CO2 gas fermentation using acetogenic microorganisms offers a viable solution of increasingly demonstrated value. While gas fermentation advances to achieve commercial process scalability, which is currently limited to a few products such as acetate and ethanol, it is worth taking the best of the current state-of-the-art technology by its integration within innovative bioconversion schemes. This review presents multiple scenarios where gas fermentation by acetogens integrate into double-stage biotechnological production processes that use CO2 as sole carbon feedstock and H2 as energy carrier for products' synthesis. In the integration schemes here reviewed, the first stage can be biotic or abiotic while the second stage is biotic. When the first stage is biotic, acetogens act as a biological platform to generate chemical intermediates such as acetate, formate and ethanol that become substrates for a second fermentation stage. This approach holds the potential to enhance process titre/rate/yield metrics and products' spectrum. Alternatively, when the first stage is abiotic, the integrated two-stage scheme foresees, in the first stage, the catalytic transformation of CO2 into C1 products that, in the second stage, can be metabolized by acetogens. This latter scheme leverages the metabolic flexibility of acetogens in efficient utilization of the products of CO2 abiotic hydrogenation, namely formate and methanol, to synthesize multicarbon compounds but also to act as flexible catalysts for hydrogen storage or production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Ricci
- Department of Applied Science and TechnologyPolitecnico di TorinoTurinItaly
- Centre for Sustainable Future TechnologiesFondazione Istituto Italiano di TecnologiaTurinItaly
| | | | | | - Debora Fino
- Department of Applied Science and TechnologyPolitecnico di TorinoTurinItaly
- Centre for Sustainable Future TechnologiesFondazione Istituto Italiano di TecnologiaTurinItaly
| | - Candido Fabrizio Pirri
- Department of Applied Science and TechnologyPolitecnico di TorinoTurinItaly
- Centre for Sustainable Future TechnologiesFondazione Istituto Italiano di TecnologiaTurinItaly
| | - Angela Re
- Department of Applied Science and TechnologyPolitecnico di TorinoTurinItaly
- Centre for Sustainable Future TechnologiesFondazione Istituto Italiano di TecnologiaTurinItaly
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Yang Z, Leero DD, Yin C, Yang L, Zhu L, Zhu Z, Jiang L. Clostridium as microbial cell factory to enable the sustainable utilization of three generations of feedstocks. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 361:127656. [PMID: 35872277 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.127656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The sustainable production of chemicals and biofuels from non-fossil carbon sources is considered key to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Clostridium sp. can convert various substrates, including the 1st-generation (biomass crops), the 2nd-generation (lignocellulosic biomass), and the 3rd-generation (C1 gases) feedstocks, into high-value products, which makes Clostridia attractive for biorefinery applications. However, the complexity of lignocellulosic catabolism and C1 gas utilization make it difficult to construct efficient production routes. Accordingly, this review highlights the advances in the development of three generations of feedstocks with Clostridia as cell factories. At the same time, more attention was given to using agro-industrial wastes (lignocelluloses and C1 gases) as the feedstocks, for which metabolic and process engineering efforts were comprehensively analyzed. In addition, the challenges of using agro-industrial wastes are also discussed. Lastly, several new synthetic biology tools and regulatory strategies are emphasized as promising technologies to be developed to address the aforementioned challenges in Clostridia and realize the efficient utilization of agro-industrial wastes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihan Yang
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Donald Delano Leero
- College of Food Science and Light Industry, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Chengtai Yin
- College of Overseas Education, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Lei Yang
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Liying Zhu
- College of Chemical and Molecular Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Zhengming Zhu
- College of Food Science and Light Industry, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Ling Jiang
- College of Food Science and Light Industry, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China; State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China.
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5
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Metabolite-Based Mutualistic Interaction between Two Novel Clostridial Species from Pit Mud Enhances Butyrate and Caproate Production. Appl Environ Microbiol 2022; 88:e0048422. [PMID: 35695571 PMCID: PMC9275218 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00484-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Pit mud microbial consortia play crucial roles in the formation of Chinese strong-flavor baijiu's key flavor-active compounds, especially butyric and caproic acids. Clostridia, one of the abundant bacterial groups in pit mud, were recognized as important butyric and caproic acid producers. Research on the interactions of the pit mud microbial community mainly depends on correlation analysis at present. Interaction between Clostridium and other microorganisms and its involvement in short/medium-chain fatty acid (S/MCFA) metabolism are still unclear. We previously found coculture of two clostridial strains isolated from pit mud, Clostridium fermenticellae JN500901 (C.901) and Novisyntrophococcus fermenticellae JN500902 (N.902), could enhance S/MCFA accumulation. Here, we investigated their underlying interaction mechanism through the combined analysis of phenotype, genome, and transcriptome. Compared to monocultures, coculture of C.901 and N.902 obviously promoted their growth, including shortening the growth lag phase and increasing biomass, and the accumulation of butyric acid and caproic acid. The slight effects of inoculation ratio and continuous passage on the growth and metabolism of coculture indicated the relative stability of their interaction. Transwell coculture and transcriptome analysis showed the interaction between C.901 and N.902 was accomplished by metabolite exchange, i.e., formic acid produced by C.901 activated the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway of N.902, thereby enhancing its production of acetic acid, which was further converted to butyric acid and caproic acid by C.901 through reverse β-oxidation. This work demonstrates the potential roles of mutually beneficial interspecies interactions in the accumulation of key flavor compounds in pit mud. IMPORTANCE Microbial interactions played crucial roles in influencing the assembly, stability, and function of the microbial community. The metabolites of pit mud microbiota are the key to flavor formation of Chinese strong-flavor baijiu. So far, researches on the interactions of the pit mud microbial community have been mainly based on the correlation analysis of sequencing data, and more work needs to be performed to unveil the complicated interaction patterns. Here, we identified a material exchange-based mutualistic interaction system involving two fatty acid-producing clostridial strains (Clostridium fermenticellae JN500901 and Novisyntrophococcus fermenticellae JN500902) isolated from pit mud and systematically elucidated their interaction mechanism for promoting the production of butyric acid and caproic acid, the key flavor-active compounds of baijiu. Our findings provide a new perspective for understanding the complicated interactions of pit mud microorganisms.
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6
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Zhuang X, Zhang Y, Xiao AF, Zhang A, Fang B. Applications of Synthetic Biotechnology on Carbon Neutrality Research: A Review on Electrically Driven Microbial and Enzyme Engineering. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:826008. [PMID: 35145960 PMCID: PMC8822124 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.826008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
With the advancement of science, technology, and productivity, the rapid development of industrial production, transportation, and the exploitation of fossil fuels has gradually led to the accumulation of greenhouse gases and deterioration of global warming. Carbon neutrality is a balance between absorption and emissions achieved by minimizing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from human social productive activity through a series of initiatives, including energy substitution and energy efficiency improvement. Then CO2 was offset through forest carbon sequestration and captured at last. Therefore, efficiently reducing CO2 emissions and enhancing CO2 capture are a matter of great urgency. Because many species have the natural CO2 capture properties, more and more scientists focus their attention on developing the biological carbon sequestration technique and further combine with synthetic biotechnology and electricity. In this article, the advances of the synthetic biotechnology method for the most promising organisms were reviewed, such as cyanobacteria, Escherichia coli, and yeast, in which the metabolic pathways were reconstructed to enhance the efficiency of CO2 capture and product synthesis. Furthermore, the electrically driven microbial and enzyme engineering processes are also summarized, in which the critical role and principle of electricity in the process of CO2 capture are canvassed. This review provides detailed summary and analysis of CO2 capture through synthetic biotechnology, which also pave the way for implementing electrically driven combined strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Zhuang
- College of Food and Biology Engineering, Jimei University, Xiamen, China
| | - Yonghui Zhang
- College of Food and Biology Engineering, Jimei University, Xiamen, China
| | - An-Feng Xiao
- College of Food and Biology Engineering, Jimei University, Xiamen, China
| | - Aihui Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Baishan Fang
- College of Food and Biology Engineering, Jimei University, Xiamen, China
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
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7
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Jang YS, Seong HJ, Kwon SW, Lee YS, Im JA, Lee HL, Yoon YR, Lee SY. Clostridium acetobutylicum atpG-Knockdown Mutants Increase Extracellular pH in Batch Cultures. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:754250. [PMID: 34760879 PMCID: PMC8573202 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.754250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
ATPase, a key enzyme involved in energy metabolism, has not yet been well studied in Clostridium acetobutylicum. Here, we knocked down the atpG gene encoding the ATPase gamma subunit in C. acetobutylicum ATCC 824 using a mobile group II intron system and analyzed the physiological characteristics of the atpG gene knockdown mutant, 824-2866KD. Properties investigated included cell growth, glucose consumption, production of major metabolites, and extracellular pH. Interestingly, in 2-L batch fermentations, 824-2866KD showed no significant difference in metabolite biosynthesis or cell growth compared with the parent ATCC 824. However, the pH value in 824-2866KD cultures at the late stage of the solventogenic phase was abnormally high (pH 6.12), compared with that obtained routinely in the culture of ATCC 824 (pH 5.74). This phenomenon was also observed in batch cultures of another C. acetobutylicum, BEKW-2866KD, an atpG-knockdown and pta-buk double-knockout mutant. The findings reported in this study suggested that ATPase is relatively minor than acid-forming pathway in ATP metabolism in C. acetobutylicum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Sin Jang
- Division of Applied Life Science (BK21), Department of Applied Life Chemistry, Institute of Agriculture and Life Science (IALS), Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, South Korea
| | - Hyeon Jeong Seong
- Division of Applied Life Science (BK21), Department of Applied Life Chemistry, Institute of Agriculture and Life Science (IALS), Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, South Korea
| | - Seong Woo Kwon
- Division of Applied Life Science (BK21), Department of Applied Life Chemistry, Institute of Agriculture and Life Science (IALS), Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, South Korea
| | - Yong-Suk Lee
- Division of Applied Life Science (BK21), Department of Applied Life Chemistry, Institute of Agriculture and Life Science (IALS), Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, South Korea
| | - Jung Ae Im
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK21 Plus Program), BioProcess Engineering Research Center, Institute for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Haeng Lim Lee
- Division of Applied Life Science (BK21), Department of Applied Life Chemistry, Institute of Agriculture and Life Science (IALS), Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, South Korea
| | - Ye Rin Yoon
- Division of Applied Life Science (BK21), Department of Applied Life Chemistry, Institute of Agriculture and Life Science (IALS), Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, South Korea
| | - Sang Yup Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK21 Plus Program), BioProcess Engineering Research Center, Institute for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, South Korea
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8
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Anaerobic fluorescent reporters for cell identification, microbial cell biology and high-throughput screening of microbiota and genomic libraries. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2021; 71:151-163. [PMID: 34375813 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2021.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The lack of real-time reporters in obligate anaerobes has limited studies in gene expression, promoter characterization, library screening, population dynamics, and cell biology in these organisms. While the use of enzymatic, colorimetric, and luminescent reporters has been reported, the need for reliable anaerobic fluorescent proteins is widely acknowledged. Recently, the fluorescent proteins HaloTag, SNAP-tag and FAST have been established as reliable reporters in Clostridium spp., thus suggesting that these reporters can be adopted widely for many obligate anaerobes. With a multitude of labeling options, these anaerobic fluorescent proteins hold a great potential for screening promoters, terminators, and RBS sites, tracking population dynamics in complex multi-species co-cultures, such as microbiomes, screening libraries, and in cell biology studies of protein localization and interactions using high-resolution microscopy.
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Lai CY, Zhou L, Yuan Z, Guo J. Hydrogen-driven microbial biogas upgrading: Advances, challenges and solutions. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 197:117120. [PMID: 33862393 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
As a clean and renewable energy, biogas is an important alternative to fossil fuels. However, the high carbon dioxide (CO2) content in biogas limits its value as a fuel. 'Biogas upgrading' is an advanced process which removes CO2 from biogas, thereby converting biogas to biomethane, which has a higher commercial value. Microbial technologies offer a sustainable and cost-effective way to upgrade biogas, removing CO2 using hydrogen (H2) as electron donor, generated by surplus electricity from renewable wind or solar energy. Hydrogenotrophic methanogens can be applied to convert CO2 with H2 to methane (CH4), or alternatively, homoacetogens can convert both CO2 and H2 into value-added chemicals. Here, we comprehensively review the current state of biogas generation and utilization, and describe the advances in biological, H2-dependent biogas upgrading technologies, with particular attention to key challenges associated with the processes, e.g., metabolic limitations, low H2 transfer rate, and finite CO2 conversion rate. We also highlight several new strategies for overcoming technical barriers to achieve efficient CO2 conversion, including process optimization to eliminate metabolic limitation, novel reactor designs to improve H2 transfer rate and utilization efficiency, and employing advanced genetic engineering tools to generate more efficient microorganisms. The insights offered in this review will promote further exploration into microbial, H2-driven biogas upgrading, towards addressing the global energy crisis and climate change associated with use of fossil fuels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Yu Lai
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Linjie Zhou
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Zhiguo Yuan
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Jianhua Guo
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
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10
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Hong Y, Arbter P, Wang W, Rojas LN, Zeng AP. Introduction of glycine synthase enables uptake of exogenous formate and strongly impacts the metabolism in Clostridium pasteurianum. Biotechnol Bioeng 2020; 118:1366-1380. [PMID: 33331660 DOI: 10.1002/bit.27658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Autotrophic or mixotrophic use of one-carbon (C1) compounds is gaining importance for sustainable bioproduction. In an effort to integrate the reductive glycine pathway (rGP) as a highly promising pathway for the assimilation of CO2 and formate, genes coding for glycine synthase system from Gottschalkia acidurici were successfully introduced into Clostridium pasteurianum, a non-model host microorganism with industrial interests. The mutant harboring glycine synthase exhibited assimilation of exogenous formate and reduced CO2 formation. Further metabolic data clearly showed large impacts of expression of glycine synthase on the product metabolism of C. pasteurianum. In particular, 2-oxobutyrate (2-OB) was observed for the first time as a metabolic intermediate of C. pasteurianum and its secretion was solely triggered by the expression of glycine synthase. The perturbation of C1 metabolism is discussed regarding its interactions with pathways of the central metabolism, acidogenesis, solventogenesis, and amino acid metabolism. The secretion of 2-OB is considered as a consequence of metabolic and redox instabilities due to the activity of glycine synthase and may represent a common metabolic response of Clostridia in enhanced use of C1 compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaeseong Hong
- Institute of Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering, Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Philipp Arbter
- Institute of Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering, Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Wei Wang
- Institute of Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering, Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lilian N Rojas
- Institute of Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering, Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, Germany
| | - An-Ping Zeng
- Institute of Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering, Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, Germany.,Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
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11
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Köpke M, Simpson SD. Pollution to products: recycling of ‘above ground’ carbon by gas fermentation. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2020; 65:180-189. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2020.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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12
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Vees CA, Neuendorf CS, Pflügl S. Towards continuous industrial bioprocessing with solventogenic and acetogenic clostridia: challenges, progress and perspectives. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2020; 47:753-787. [PMID: 32894379 PMCID: PMC7658081 DOI: 10.1007/s10295-020-02296-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The sustainable production of solvents from above ground carbon is highly desired. Several clostridia naturally produce solvents and use a variety of renewable and waste-derived substrates such as lignocellulosic biomass and gas mixtures containing H2/CO2 or CO. To enable economically viable production of solvents and biofuels such as ethanol and butanol, the high productivity of continuous bioprocesses is needed. While the first industrial-scale gas fermentation facility operates continuously, the acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation is traditionally operated in batch mode. This review highlights the benefits of continuous bioprocessing for solvent production and underlines the progress made towards its establishment. Based on metabolic capabilities of solvent producing clostridia, we discuss recent advances in systems-level understanding and genome engineering. On the process side, we focus on innovative fermentation methods and integrated product recovery to overcome the limitations of the classical one-stage chemostat and give an overview of the current industrial bioproduction of solvents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Anne Vees
- Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, Research Area Biochemical Engineering, Technische Universität Wien, Gumpendorfer Straße 1a, 1060 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Simon Neuendorf
- Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, Research Area Biochemical Engineering, Technische Universität Wien, Gumpendorfer Straße 1a, 1060 Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefan Pflügl
- Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, Research Area Biochemical Engineering, Technische Universität Wien, Gumpendorfer Straße 1a, 1060 Vienna, Austria
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Liu Z, Wang K, Chen Y, Tan T, Nielsen J. Third-generation biorefineries as the means to produce fuels and chemicals from CO2. Nat Catal 2020. [DOI: 10.1038/s41929-019-0421-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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A Strongly Fluorescing Anaerobic Reporter and Protein-Tagging System for Clostridium Organisms Based on the Fluorescence-Activating and Absorption-Shifting Tag Protein (FAST). Appl Environ Microbiol 2019; 85:AEM.00622-19. [PMID: 31076434 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00622-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Visualizing protein localization and characterizing gene expression activity in live Clostridium cells is limited for lack of a real-time, highly fluorescent, oxygen-independent reporter system. Enzymatic reporter systems have been used successfully for many years with Clostridium spp.; however, these assays do not allow for real-time analysis of gene expression activity with flow cytometry or for visualizing protein localization through fusion proteins. Commonly used fluorescent reporter proteins require oxygen for chromophore maturation and cannot be used for most strictly anaerobic Clostridium organisms. Here we show that the fluorescence-activating and absorption-shifting tag protein (FAST), when associated with the fluorogenic ligand 4-hydroxy-3-methylbenzylidene-rhodanine (HMBR; now commercially available) and other commercially available ligands, is highly fluorescent in Clostridium acetobutylicum under anaerobic conditions. Using flow cytometry and a fluorescence microplate reader, we demonstrated FAST as a reporter system by employing the promoters of the C. acetobutylicum thiolase (thl), acetoacetate decarboxylase (adc), and phosphotransbutyrylase (ptb) metabolic genes, as well as a mutant Pthl and modified ribosome binding site (RBS) versions of Padc and Pptb Flow cytometry-based sorting was efficient and fast in sorting FAST-expressing cells, and positively and negatively sorted cells could be effectively recultured. FAST was also used to tag and examine protein localization of the predicted cell division FtsZ partner protein, ZapA, to visualize the divisome localization in live C. acetobutylicum cells. Our findings suggest that FAST can be used to further investigate Clostridium divisomes and more broadly the localization and expression levels of other proteins in Clostridium organisms, thus enabling cell biology studies with these organisms.IMPORTANCE FAST in association with the fluorogenic ligand HMBR is characterized as a successful, highly fluorescent reporter system in C. acetobutylicum FAST can be used to distinguish between promoters in live cells using flow cytometry or a fluorescence microplate reader and can be used to tag and examine protein localization in live, anaerobically grown cells. Given that FAST is highly fluorescent under anaerobic conditions, it can be used in several applications of this and likely many Clostridium organisms and other strict anaerobes, including studies involving cell sorting, sporulation dynamics, and population characterization in pure as well as mixed cultures, such as those in various native or synthetic microbiomes and syntrophic cultures.
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Lu X, Liu Y, Yang Y, Wang S, Wang Q, Wang X, Yan Z, Cheng J, Liu C, Yang X, Luo H, Yang S, Gou J, Ye L, Lu L, Zhang Z, Guo Y, Nie Y, Lin J, Li S, Tian C, Cai T, Zhuo B, Ma H, Wang W, Ma Y, Liu Y, Li Y, Jiang H. Constructing a synthetic pathway for acetyl-coenzyme A from one-carbon through enzyme design. Nat Commun 2019; 10:1378. [PMID: 30914637 PMCID: PMC6435721 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09095-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Acetyl-CoA is a fundamental metabolite for all life on Earth, and is also a key starting point for the biosynthesis of a variety of industrial chemicals and natural products. Here we design and construct a Synthetic Acetyl-CoA (SACA) pathway by repurposing glycolaldehyde synthase and acetyl-phosphate synthase. First, we design and engineer glycolaldehyde synthase to improve catalytic activity more than 70-fold, to condense two molecules of formaldehyde into one glycolaldehyde. Second, we repurpose a phosphoketolase to convert glycolaldehyde into acetyl-phosphate. We demonstrated the feasibility of the SACA pathway in vitro, achieving a carbon yield ~50%, and confirmed the SACA pathway by 13C-labeled metabolites. Finally, the SACA pathway was verified by cell growth using glycolaldehyde, formaldehyde and methanol as supplemental carbon source. The SACA pathway is proved to be the shortest, ATP-independent, carbon-conserving and oxygen-insensitive pathway for acetyl-CoA biosynthesis, opening possibilities for producing acetyl-CoA-derived chemicals from one-carbon resources in the future. The microbial synthesis of carbon-containing compounds from single carbon precursors is desirable, yet designed pathways to achieve this goal overlap with host metabolism. Here the authors design a de novo metabolic pathway to assimilate formaldehyde into acetyl-CoA that does not overlap with known metabolic networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyun Lu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 300308, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuwan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 300308, Tianjin, China
| | - Yiqun Yang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 300308, Tianjin, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Shanshan Wang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, 201210, Shanghai, China
| | - Qian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 300308, Tianjin, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Xiya Wang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, 250100, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Zhihui Yan
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 300308, Tianjin, China
| | - Jian Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 300308, Tianjin, China
| | - Cui Liu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 300308, Tianjin, China
| | - Xue Yang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 300308, Tianjin, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Hao Luo
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 300308, Tianjin, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Sheng Yang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 300308, Tianjin, China
| | - Junran Gou
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 300308, Tianjin, China
| | - Luzhen Ye
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 300308, Tianjin, China
| | - Lina Lu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 300308, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhidan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 300308, Tianjin, China
| | - Yu Guo
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China.,Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, 201210, Shanghai, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 201210, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Nie
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, 201210, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianping Lin
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 300308, Tianjin, China
| | - Sheng Li
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, 201210, Shanghai, China
| | - Chaoguang Tian
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 300308, Tianjin, China
| | - Tao Cai
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 300308, Tianjin, China
| | - Bingzhao Zhuo
- Center for Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 710072, Xi'an, China
| | - Hongwu Ma
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 300308, Tianjin, China
| | - Wen Wang
- Center for Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 710072, Xi'an, China
| | - Yanhe Ma
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 300308, Tianjin, China
| | - Yongjun Liu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, 250100, Jinan, Shandong, China.
| | - Yin Li
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China.
| | - Huifeng Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 300308, Tianjin, China.
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Burton R, Can M, Esckilsen D, Wiley S, Ragsdale SW. Production and properties of enzymes that activate and produce carbon monoxide. Methods Enzymol 2018; 613:297-324. [PMID: 30509471 PMCID: PMC6309614 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2018.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The chapter focuses on the methods involved in producing and characterizing two key nickel-iron-sulfur enzymes in the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway (WLP) of anaerobic conversion of carbon dioxide fixation into acetyl-CoA: carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (CODH) and acetyl-CoA synthase (ACS). The WLP is used for biosynthesis of cell material and energy conservation by anaerobic bacteria and archaea, and it is central to several industrial biotechnology processes aimed at using syngas and waste gases for the production of fuels and chemicals. The pathway can run in reverse to allow organisms, e. g., methanogens and sulfate reducers, to grow on acetate. The CODH and ACS intertwine to form a tenacious CODH/ACS complex that converts CO2, a methyl group, and coenzyme A into acetyl-CoA. CODH also behaves as a modular unit that can function as an independent homodimer. Besides coupling to ACS, CODH can interact with hydrogenases to couple CO oxidation to H2 formation. These enzymes have been purified and characterized from several microbes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodney Burton
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Mehmet Can
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Daniel Esckilsen
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Seth Wiley
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Stephen W Ragsdale
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.
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Charubin K, Papoutsakis ET. Direct cell-to-cell exchange of matter in a synthetic Clostridium syntrophy enables CO 2 fixation, superior metabolite yields, and an expanded metabolic space. Metab Eng 2018; 52:9-19. [PMID: 30391511 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2018.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Revised: 10/19/2018] [Accepted: 10/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
In microbial fermentations at least 33% of the sugar-substrate carbon is lost as CO2 during pyruvate decarboxylation to acetyl-CoA, with the corresponding electrons lost in the form of H2. Previous attempts to reduce this carbon and electron loss focused on engineering of a single organism. In nature, most microorganisms live in complex communities where syntrophic interactions result in superior resource utilization. Here, we show that a synthetic syntrophy consisting of the solventogen Clostridium acetobutylicum, which converts simple and complex carbohydrates into a variety of chemicals, and the acetogen C. ljungdahlii which fixes CO2, achieved carbon recoveries into C2-C4 alcohols almost to the limit of substrate-electron availability, with minimal H2 and CO2 release. The syntrophic co-culture produced robust metabolic outcomes over a broad range of starting population ratios of the two organisms. We show that direct cell-to-cell interactions and material exchange among the two microbes enabled unforeseen rearrangements in the metabolism of the individual species that resulted in the production of non-native metabolites, namely isopropanol and 2,3-butanediol. This was accomplished by pathway-specific alterations of gene expression brought about by one organism on the other, and vice versa. While some of these gene-expression alterations can be explained by the exchange of metabolites that induce specific gene expression patterns, others, as demonstrated by co-culture setup in a transwell system, cannot. The latter, for now, would be attributed to complex direct physical interactions among the two organisms, thus providing a glimpse of the potential microbial complexity of simple or multicomponent microbiomes. Such direct material-transfer phenomena have not been documented in the literature. Furthermore, our study shows that syntrophic cultures offer a flexible platform for metabolite production with superior carbon recovery that can also be applied to electron-enhanced fermentations enabling even higher carbon recoveries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamil Charubin
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 15 Innovation Way, Newark, DE 19711, USA; Delaware Biotechnology Institute, University of Delaware, 15 Innovation Way, Newark, DE 19711, USA.
| | - Eleftherios Terry Papoutsakis
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 15 Innovation Way, Newark, DE 19711, USA; Delaware Biotechnology Institute, University of Delaware, 15 Innovation Way, Newark, DE 19711, USA.
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Charubin K, Bennett RK, Fast AG, Papoutsakis ET. Engineering Clostridium organisms as microbial cell-factories: challenges & opportunities. Metab Eng 2018; 50:173-191. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2018.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Revised: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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