Accelerate acetogenic bioproduction: Acetogens as sustainable producers of biocommodities

Abstract

Gas fermentation using autotrophic acetogenic bacteria has been industrialized, however, its full potential remains untapped, with only native products like ethanol being produced thus far. Advancements in synthetic biology have enabled the recombinant production of diverse biocommodities to broaden their limited natural product spectrum from C1-gases. Additionally, co-culturing acetogens with other microorganisms holds the potential for expanding the product spectrum further. However, commercialization remains challenging due to complex pathway and (co)culturing optimizations. To address this, novel synthetic biology tools, including the use of high throughput biopart screenings using reporter proteins, the deployment of cell-free systems to combine best-performing enzymes, and the identification and elimination of competing pathways, can be employed. Incorporating genetically engineered strains in co-cultures improves dependencies, directs product formation, and increases resilience, enhancing bioproduction efficiency. This review emphasizes using these tools to enhance the recombinant production of biocommodities, offering promising solutions to overcome existing challenges.