Harnessing electrical-to-biochemical conversion for microbial synthesis

Zhen Fang; Yinjie J Tang; Mattheos Ag Koffas

doi:10.1016/j.copbio.2022.102687

Harnessing electrical-to-biochemical conversion for microbial synthesis

Curr Opin Biotechnol. 2022 Jun:75:102687. doi: 10.1016/j.copbio.2022.102687. Epub 2022 Jan 31.

Authors

Zhen Fang¹, Yinjie J Tang², Mattheos Ag Koffas³

Affiliations

¹ Biofuels Institute, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China.
² Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA.
³ Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA. Electronic address: koffam@rpi.edu.

PMID: 35104718
DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2022.102687

Abstract

Electrical-to-biochemical conversion (E2BC) drives cell metabolism for biosynthesis and has become a promising way to realize green biomanufacturing. This review discusses the following aspects: 1. the natural E2BC processes and their underlying E2BC mechanism; 2. development of artificial E2BC for tunable microbial electrosynthesis; 3. design of electrobiochemical systems using self-powered, light-assisted, and nano-biohybrid approaches; 4. synthetic biology methods for efficient microbial electrosynthesis. This review also compares E2BC with electrocatalysis-biochemical conversion (EC2BC), as both strategies may lead to future carbon negative green biomanufacturing.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Carbon / metabolism
Carbon Dioxide / metabolism
Electricity*
Synthetic Biology*

Substances

Carbon Dioxide
Carbon