Metabolic Engineering of Cupriavidus necator H16 for Sustainable Biofuels from CO2. Issue 4 (April 2021) - Panich, Justin
Abstract : Decelerating global warming is one of the predominant challenges of our time and will require conversion of CO2 to usable products and commodity chemicals. Of particular interest is the production of fuels, because the transportation sector is a major source of CO2 emissions. Here, we review recent technological advances in metabolic engineering of the hydrogen-oxidizing bacterium Cupriavidus necator H16, a chemolithotroph that naturally consumes CO2 to generate biomass. We discuss recent successes in biofuel production using this organism, and the implementation of electrolysis/artificial photosynthesis approaches that enable growth of C. necator using renewable electricity and CO2 . Last, we discuss prospects of improving the nonoptimal growth of C. necator in ambient concentrations of CO2 . Highlights: Cupriavidus necator has a wide metabolic range and naturally creates a biopolymer, poly[( R )-3 hydroxybutyrate] (PHB). Using metabolic engineering techniques, carbon flux can be directed away from PHB synthesis toward the generation of biofuels and bioproducts. Researchers demonstrated the production of many biofuel products using C. necator, including methyl ketones, isoprenoids and terpenes, isobutanol, alkanes and alkenes, and a wide variety of commodity chemicals from CO2 . Growth of C. necator and bioproduct production using electrolysis was recently demonstrated, including the use of an artificial leaf system. While genetic engineering of C. necator remains a laborious process, synthetic biology tools for this organism are being expanded with new technologies that will allow for large alterations to its genome.