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Updated: May 20, 2026

A Customizable Approach for the Enzymatic Production and Purification of Diterpenoid Natural Products
Published on: October 4, 2019
Bio-based production of C2-C6 platform chemicals
Yu-Sin Jang1, Byoungjin Kim, Jae Ho Shin
1Metabolic and Biomolecular Engineering National Research Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Center for Systems and Synthetic Biotechnology, Institute for the BioCentury, KAIST, Daejeon 305-701, Republic of Korea.
Abstract:
Platform chemicals composed of 2-6 carbons derived from fossil resources are used as important precursors for making a variety of chemicals and materials, including solvents, fuels, polymers, pharmaceuticals, perfumes, and foods. Due to concerns regarding our environment and the limited nature of fossil resources, however, increasing interest has focused on the development of sustainable technologies for producing these platform chemicals from renewable resources. The techniques and strategies for developing microbial strains for chemicals production have advanced rapidly, and it is becoming feasible to develop microbes for producing additional types of chemicals, including non-natural molecules. In this study, we review the current status of the bio-based production of major C2-C6 platform chemicals, focusing on the microbial production of platform chemicals that have been used for the production of chemical intermediates, building block compounds, and polymers.
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