Presentation Information
[4GteX-06-KL]Rewiring Microbial Metabolism for Sustainable Chemical and Sugar Production
○Shota Atsumi1 (1. University of California, Davis (USA))
Keywords:
Metabolic Engineering,Synthetic Biology,Photosynthesis,Carbon Capture,Rare Sugars,Human Milk Oligosaccharides
Sustainable biotechnological production of chemicals requires the integration of carbon capture, renewable feedstocks, and engineered microbial metabolism. This keynote highlights complementary platforms developed to convert carbon dioxide and abundant sugars into value-added chemicals.
Photomixotrophic bioproduction using engineered cyanobacteria enables the simultaneous utilization of carbon dioxide, glucose, and xylose. Glucose and xylose are derived from lignocellulosic hydrolysates obtained from agricultural waste, allowing direct coupling of photosynthetic carbon fixation with biomass valorization. Through metabolic rewiring and pathway decoupling, these systems support efficient co-utilization of multiple carbon sources for the production of chemicals, with a particular focus on precursors for biodegradable polymers.
An electrochemical–biological hybrid system links renewable electricity with microbial biosynthesis in a single-pot configuration. In this platform, electrocatalysts reduce carbon dioxide to formate, which is subsequently assimilated by engineered microorganisms and converted into valuable products. This approach bypasses biomass processing and directly connects electrical energy to microbial metabolism, offering a scalable route for carbon-neutral biomanufacturing.
Heterotrophic microbial platforms further enable the conversion of abundant sugars into rare sugars and complex oligosaccharides. Rare monosaccharides such as D-psicose, D-tagatose, and L-sorbose function as low-calorie sweeteners with diverse bioactivities, while human milk oligosaccharides play critical roles in infant nutrition and health. By leveraging endogenous metabolic pathways and targeted pathway engineering, these systems outperform traditional chemical or in vitro enzymatic routes.
Together, these integrated platforms illustrate a biotechnology-driven strategy that combines photosynthesis, electrochemistry, and microbial metabolism to enable sustainable production from renewable carbon sources.
Photomixotrophic bioproduction using engineered cyanobacteria enables the simultaneous utilization of carbon dioxide, glucose, and xylose. Glucose and xylose are derived from lignocellulosic hydrolysates obtained from agricultural waste, allowing direct coupling of photosynthetic carbon fixation with biomass valorization. Through metabolic rewiring and pathway decoupling, these systems support efficient co-utilization of multiple carbon sources for the production of chemicals, with a particular focus on precursors for biodegradable polymers.
An electrochemical–biological hybrid system links renewable electricity with microbial biosynthesis in a single-pot configuration. In this platform, electrocatalysts reduce carbon dioxide to formate, which is subsequently assimilated by engineered microorganisms and converted into valuable products. This approach bypasses biomass processing and directly connects electrical energy to microbial metabolism, offering a scalable route for carbon-neutral biomanufacturing.
Heterotrophic microbial platforms further enable the conversion of abundant sugars into rare sugars and complex oligosaccharides. Rare monosaccharides such as D-psicose, D-tagatose, and L-sorbose function as low-calorie sweeteners with diverse bioactivities, while human milk oligosaccharides play critical roles in infant nutrition and health. By leveraging endogenous metabolic pathways and targeted pathway engineering, these systems outperform traditional chemical or in vitro enzymatic routes.
Together, these integrated platforms illustrate a biotechnology-driven strategy that combines photosynthesis, electrochemistry, and microbial metabolism to enable sustainable production from renewable carbon sources.
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