Engineering microbial chemical factories to produce renewable “biomonomers”

Abstract

By applying metabolic engineering tools and strategies to engineer synthetic enzyme pathways, the number and diversity of commodity and specialty chemicals that can be derived directly from renewable feedstocks is rapidly and continually expanding. This of course includes a number of monomer building-block chemicals that can be used to produce replacements to many conventional plastic materials. This review aims to highlight numerous recent and important advancements in the microbial production of these so-called “biomonomers.” Relative to naturally-occurring renewable bioplastics, biomonomers offer several important advantages, including improved control over the final polymer structure and purity, the ability to synthesize non-natural copolymers, and allowing products to be excreted from cells which ultimately streamlines downstream recovery and purification. To highlight these features, a handful of biomonomers have been selected as illustrative examples of recent works, including polyamide monomers, styrenic vinyls, hydroxyacids, and diols. Where appropriate, examples of their industrial penetration to date and end-product uses are also highlighted. Novel biomonomers such as these are ultimately paving the way toward new classes of renewable bioplastics that possess a broader diversity of properties than ever before possible.

Bioplastics from waste glycerol derived from biodiesel industry

“…polyesters, polyethers, and polyurethanes, through chemical synthesis. 82 Compared to these plastics with biological origins and chemical catalysis, PHAs are a class of completely naturally occurring bioplastics.…”

Elimination of polyamine N-acetylation and regulatory engineering improved putrescine production by Corynebacterium glutamicum

“…Biopolymers constitute a rapidly growing market in Europe with the growth rate mainly depending on two properties of biopolymers, renewability and availability, which offers clear advantages over their petrochemical counterparts (Adkins et al, 2012). Bio-based production of monomers for the polymer industries offers drop-in solutions without the necessity to introduce new plastics into the market or to alter established routes of subsequent plastic processing.…”

Advances in Metabolic Engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the Production of Industrially and Clinically Important Chemicals

“…A signiicant portion of petroleum is used in the chemical catalysis for the production of chemicals and plastics [8]. However, in recent years, microbial production of chemicals based on renewable sources, such as biomass, has become important as a part of the eforts to reduce demand on diminishing petroleum and to reduce hazardous wastes.…”