Bioconversion and Biorefinery of C1 Compounds

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About this Research Topic

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Background

Channelling renewable resources into biofuels and biochemicals using microbial cell factories and biocatalysts is paving a promising route for transforming the current petrochemical refinery-based economy into a biorefinery-based green economy. Continuous and abundant feedstock supplies are prerequisite for development and promotion of the biorefinery routes. C1 compounds (including CO2, CO/syngas, methane, methanol) are a group of abundant and cheap feedstocks for biorefinery technology. Engineering native C1-utilizing microorganisms and endowing the conventional chassis cells with synthetic C1-utilizing capacities are emerging fields for utilization of C1 compounds as renewable resources. To develop efficient C1-utilizing cell factories and biocatalysts, the mechanisms for uptaking, assimilating or converting C1 compounds are being discovered, disclosed and engineered. In addition, non-natural C1-utilizing enzymes and pathways have also been designed and synthesized to overcome the restrictions and weakness of the natural system. Currently, the technology of C1 compounds biorefinery and bioconversion are gradually moving from laboratorial proof-of-concept to pilot demonstrations and industrial applications.

Bioconversion and biorefinery of C1 compounds is envisioned as a promising route for facilitating ecological and economically feasible biomanufacturing. This topic emphasizes understanding and advancing the applications of genetics, synthetic biology, systems biology, metabolic engineering, bioengineering, and process engineering to develop and optimize the enzymes, pathways, chassis cells, and systems for improved performance on converting C1 compounds into biofuels, biochemicals, and biomass.

This Research Topic will accept manuscripts of the article types Original Research, Brief Research Reports and Reviews relevant to the theme of C1 compounds bioconversion and biorefinery. Topics covered may include, but are not limited to:
• Understanding and engineering microbial cells with natural C1 compounds utilization abilities for production of valuable metabolites or enhancement of industrial properties
• Engineering and improving conventional microbial cells for the endowed abilities to uptake and utilize C1 compounds
• Design, discovery or optimization of enzymes and pathways for fixation and utilization of C1 compounds
• Bioprocess engineering and technology integration (the strategies, instruments, strains, and systems) for bioconversion and biorefinery of C1 compounds

With this Research Topic, we aim at promoting knowledge and recent advancements in the field of bioconversion and refinery of C1 compounds. We seek to expand on the previous Research Topics "Methane: A Bioresource for Fuel and Biomolecules" and "Microbial Technologies for Bio-energy and Bio-product".

Keywords: Metabolic engineering, Synthetic Biology, Biorefinery, One-Carbon (C1) compounds, Biomanufacturing

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