Consolidated Bioprocessing: Synthetic Biology Routes to Fuels and Fine Chemicals

The long road from emerging biotechnologies to commercial green biosynthetic routes for chemical production relies in part on efficient microbial use of sustainable and renewable waste biomass feedstocks. One solution is to apply the consolidated bioprocessing approach, whereby microorganisms convert lignocellulose waste into advanced fuels and other chemicals. As lignocellulose is a highly complex network of polymers, enzymatic degradation or saccharification requires a range of cellulolytic enzymes acting synergistically to release the abundant sugars contained within. Complications arise from the need for extracellular localisation of cellulolytic enzymes, whether they be free or cell-associated. This review highlights the current progress in the consolidated bioprocessing approach, whereby microbial chassis are engineered to grow on lignocellulose as sole carbon sources whilst generating commercially useful chemicals. Future perspectives in the emerging biofoundry approach with bacterial hosts are discussed, where solutions to existing bottlenecks could potentially be overcome though the application of high throughput and iterative Design-Build-Test-Learn methodologies. These rapid automated pathway building infrastructures could be adapted for addressing the challenges of increasing cellulolytic capabilities of microorganisms to commercially viable levels.

Automated summary

The research highlights the current progress in consolidated bioprocessing approach where microorganisms are engineered to convert waste lignocellulose into fuels and chemicals. Challenges include the complexity of enzymatic degradation process and the localization of cellulolytic enzymes. Future prospects involve utilizing biofoundry approach and high throughput design methods to address existing bottlenecks and enhance microbial cellulolytic capabilities to commercially viable levels.