Microbial biosurfactants: A broad analysis of properties, applications, biosynthesis, and techno‐economical assessment of rhamnolipid production

Abstract

Biosurfactants are surface-active molecules originated from renewable resources, which are produced by microbial fermentation or chemical/enzymatic catalysis. These molecules present important advantages as compared to petrochemical surfactants, given their resistance to extreme conditions, biodegradability, specificity, and environmental compatibility. Besides that, the high production costs hinder its commercialization. In this way, this article aimed to analyze microbial biosurfactants production, focusing on the optimization of metabolic pathways and production processes, to identify key aspects and provide alternatives to allow a cost-effective production at industrial scale. This was achieved by a broad analysis of biosurfactants properties, applications, and biosynthetic pathways (in terms of yield, cofactors, and energy), in addition to an assessment of production-associated costs. As a result of the present extensive data survey and analysis, key production aspects are disclosed. The metabolic pathway yield analysis demonstrated that production of biosurfactants can be significantly improved (highest theoretical yield was 0.47 g biosurfactant /g substrate ) by the use of biomolecular engineering techniques to generate optimized synthetic pathways. With an alternative proposed pathway for surfactin, yield was improved and imbalance in cofactors and ATP was reduced. Analysis of productive costs indicated that to make rhamnolipids commercial production feasible, the main efforts should focus on lowering substrate costs as well as the identification of energy-efficient unit operations to lower electricity cost, since these parameters accounted for 19.36 and 78.22%, respectively, of the production costs. The data generated by this analysis highlight the need for multidisciplinary collaboration to make rhamnolipids economically feasible, including biomolecular engineering and process intensification.

Enhanced Bioavailability and Microbial Biodegradation of Polystyrene in an Enrichment Derived from the Gut Microbiome of Tenebrio molitor (Mealworm Larvae)

“…The absence of emulsifying agents in ex situ microbial cultures could help explain the low rate of PS biodegradation relative to conditions in situ . Emulsifying agents produced by microorganisms are known to enhance remediation of liquid hydrocarbons; , the mealworm microbiome may similarly enhance biodegradation of solid hydrocarbons, such as plastic. Further research into identifying and characterizing this emulsifying agent is needed to maximize and exploit its potential utility.…”

Towards Rational Biosurfactant Design—Predicting Solubilization in Rhamnolipid Solutions

“…In spite of vast number of research on efficient methods for RLs production [28][29][30], the overall cost of the synthesis is high, and therefore limits the potential to widely replace surfactants with petrochemical origin. In the scientific world, multidimensional efforts are made to overcome this obstacle [31].…”

Biosurfactant-Producing Mucor Strains: Selection, Screening, and Chemical Characterization

“…They are divided into a large number of molecules, but the best known are glycolipids, which include rhamnolipids, sophorolipids, and mannosylerythritol lipids. Biosurfactants are already present on the market and many companies produce glycolipids, mainly rhamnolipids and sophorolipids, which confirm the renewed interest in these molecules [7].…”