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Fermentative butanol production by Clostridia
Sang Yup Lee1, Jin Hwan Park, Seh Hee Jang
1Metabolic and Biomolecular Engineering National Research Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK21 Program), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-701, Republic of Korea. leesy@kaist.ac.kr
Biotechnology and Bioengineering
|August 30, 2008
Summary
Renewed interest in biological butanol production is driven by advances in biotechnology and the demand for renewable resources. This review covers fermentative butanol production by clostridia and strategies for industrial success.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Industrial Microbiology
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Butanol (C4H9OH) is a versatile chemical used as a solvent, intermediate, and potential fuel.
- Biological butanol production was historically significant but declined due to economic factors.
- There is a resurgence in interest for bio-based butanol due to renewable resource demand and biotechnological progress.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the biotechnological production of butanol using clostridia.
- To discuss fermentation and downstream processing for butanol recovery.
- To explore metabolic engineering strategies for strain improvement and industrial viability.
Main Methods:
- Review of scientific literature on fermentative butanol production.
- Analysis of metabolic engineering techniques for enhancing butanol yield.
- Examination of fermentation and separation technologies.
Main Results:
- Clostridia are key microorganisms for fermentative butanol production.
- Metabolic engineering offers pathways to improve butanol titers and productivity.
- Efficient downstream processing is crucial for economic feasibility.
Conclusions:
- Biotechnological butanol production is regaining importance as a sustainable alternative.
- Strain development through metabolic engineering is vital for industrial competitiveness.
- Further innovation in fermentation and processing is required for large-scale success.
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