Efficient Biosynthesis of Organic Acids from Renewable Materials

Organic acids, as building-block chemicals, can be applied as precursors for the production of numerous complex chemicals and commercially viable polymers. Generally, most organic acids are obtained via two methods: petrochemical routes and biomass-based microbial processes. Each of these two approaches has their own advantages and challenges. For example, for succinate production, renewable materials can be used as a carbon source, which is more consistent with the goal of sustainable development. However, the microbial process is still not suitable for industrial production due to its high cost, compared with chemical synthesis. On the other hand, the technology of petroleum-based chemical synthesis is more established and yields a high titer of succinate, although this method contributes substantially to environmental pollution and has a high energy consumption. However, considering that oil is non-renewable and causes environmental pollution, microbial manufacturing provides a more promising, long-term approach due to its green and sustainable nature.

Compared with chemical synthesis, the market share of biotechnological processes for the production of various organic acids is extremely low. Although some organic acids have been produced via microbial fermentation processes, the efficiency is usually too low to be suitable for industrial production, and some of the process mechanisms have not yet been fully studied. Thus, it is necessary to proceed rapidly with research in microbial organic acid production. Meanwhile, the development of metabolic engineering and synthetic biology can provide more effective strategies to construct robust microbial cell factories for organic acids biosynthesis with high titer, yield, and productivity.

This Research Topic intends to bring together researchers from various fields, including bioengineering, synthetic biology, industry and organic chemistry, to yield a multidisciplinary discussion of green microbial manufacturing for the production of organic acids. Authors are invited to contribute original research, as well as review articles that provide a comprehensive discussion and analysis of the current success and future outlooks for biosynthesis of various organic acids.

Topics covered may include, but are not limited to:
• Design and construction of new pathways for organic acid biosynthesis
• Application of synthetic biology strategies to synthesise unnatural organic acids
• Organic acid biosynthesis by non-conventional organisms
• New renewable feedstock for organic acid biosynthesis
• Developments in new fermentation technology of organic acid production
• Scale up of the organic acid production process for industrial application
• New developments in separation technology for bio-production of organic acids